Answered Questions
by girlinblue17
Summary: Chris and Jill finally meet after the Raccoon City explosion. Jill wonders why Chris wasn't the one who saved her, Chris wonders if Carlos is the new man in her life. Will their questions be answered, or will Umbrella get in the way once and for all?
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! I haven't written fanfiction for a long time, and this will be my first RE fanfic, so please be nice, alright?

This is set right after RE: Code Veronica, although the first part spills over from Resident Evil 2 and 3. Reviews (even critiques!) are much appreciated.

Disclaimer (for all chapters): Resident Evil is owned by Capcom, not me (although I wish I could have Chris Redfield).

Chapter I

Barry Burton turned his head to look at the morose young woman who was sitting behind him. "For a girl who just got her life saved, you don't seem very happy about it." Jill Valentine raised her head, brushing her short brown hair from her face, and it was then that Barry saw her brown eyes were bright with unshed tears. He immediately became contrite. "Sorry, that was a bad joke…" He said awkwardly, not knowing how to continue.

"We lost Raccoon, Barry," Jill whispered, her voice barely heard above the whirring rotors of the helicopter they were riding. "All those people… All those lives… If we only just…" She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself, Jill." It was Carlos Oliveira, a mercenary who was escaped the horrors of Raccoon City with her. "We couldn't have done anything about it." He said, awkwardly rubbing Jill's back to comfort her.

"I know, it's just that… We didn't even get one of them out. I could've convinced Dario to go with me, instead of allowing him to be…" She choked on the memory, remembering the man's diary, of his stories about his family and wanting to be an author, brutally destroyed when the zombies attacked him in the warehouse. Even after all that she's seen, the thought of someone being eaten alive still horrified her. Thousands of people died, and it's all because of a company who decided to play god. Umbrella.

"Hey, I'm not chopped liver. You got me out, right?" Carlos said, giving a weak smile.

A faint version of Jill's smile appeared briefly on her lips, but it disappeared almost instantly. Changing the subject, she addressed Barry. "Hey, where's Chris?", she asked, leaning back tiredly.

"Where else? He's still in Europe, looking for leads about Umbrella. That's where we're going right now, we've set up a temporary base so that we'll be close when something happens." He paused. "He wanted to be the one to get you, but a lead came up, and he had to follow it. You know how it is, kiddo."

Jill's lips twisted slightly, as though holding back a grimace. "Yeah, I know how it is. What else?" She said, softly so that no one would hear.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone! Thanks for the lovely reviews, I'm a little rusty in writing, so it's great to see that what I wrote so far is appreciated.:D I've written all the way to Chapter 9 by now, but I want to update day by day to see how this goes (and to see if I need to edit some stuff up too), so advanced warning for those who want to see action against BOWs – it's not happening until much later!

Special mention goes to Stardust4: are her eyes blue?o_O I've been trying to find out info on what her eye color is, but since I couldn't find an official source, I just stuck with the most common eye color. lol Oh well.

**Chapter II**

It was a few months after the Raccoon City explosion. Barry had brought Jill and Carlos to their makeshift base. Ever the father figure, he had bustled about getting spare clothes, blankets and pillows for the tired duo, apologizing for the rude arrangements. Jill had waved him off, thankful for having warm clothes again and a place to sleep in. It felt like old times again, when she would drop by her teammates' apartments to borrow some supplies. Granted, having a helicopter in your own backyard isn't what you would call normal, but it was something familiar to Jill, and she wrapped the thought around her more tightly than she did her blanket. For his part, Carlos was beside himself in gratitude. The mercenary life had made his living arrangements meager at its best, so getting clean blankets was a luxury he wasn't used to.

Jill padded softly downstairs, not wanting to wake the others. It was barely dawn, and she was getting a little hungry. She smiled softly to herself, remembering the times when she and the other S.T.A.R.S. members went out to eat at the local diner. Being the only girl in the team (Rebecca only came in the same day of the mansion incident), she was constantly teased for her big appetite. A human garbage disposal, Enrico good-naturedly kidded her. Smiling slightly at the memory, she tiptoed downstairs. She successfully reached the kitchen, and just as she was opening the refrigerator door, a sharp voice called out.

"Who's there?" A man's voice said sharply.

Jill whipped around. She froze for a minute, and then relaxed. For a brief moment, she thought it was Albert Wesker, the traitorous captain of the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team, but she saw with relief that the man had dark hair, but she couldn't make out any of the features. "I could ask you the same thing," she said, her tone inquiring more than aggressive.

"Jill?" The voice said incredulously. As he walked into the light, Jill got her first look at the newcomer.

"Chris!" She gasped out. Without thinking, she rushed to his side, but stopped herself just as she was about to throw her arms around him. No way was she going to embarrass herself by repeating what she did in the mansion. Instead, she compromised by punching him in the arm, while grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Ow! Is that the way to treat your long-lost partner?" For a minute, Jill could have sworn that his arms were slightly raised on his sides as though to hug her, but then he started rubbing the spot where Jill had hit him, and she dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Long lost? More like a few months," Jill said, scoffing, but her huge grin belied her thoughts. She missed him, and Chris could see that, and he returned it, the rare Redfield smile on his face. "Besides, you're the one who left your partner," she kidded. To her surprise, Chris's grin dropped, and he looked uncomfortably at the floor. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked softly, touching him on the arm.

"You probably hate me, huh?" Chris asked, not lifting his eyes.

"Hey, what are you talking about? Why should I hate you?" Jill replied, puzzled.

"If I didn't leave for Europe, you probably wouldn't have to go through all that crap you did. To top that off, I wasn't even there to get you out of it. Some partner I made."

Jill hesitated, and to Chris's surprise, she lifted her right hand to cup his face. "Hey, I won't have any of that, okay? What's important is that we're safe. You, me, Barry, Rebecca… We're all here." She looked up at him, and was surprised to see some indescribable emotion in his eyes, a look she wasn't aware was reflected in hers.

"Jill, I…"

"Oh, oops. Sorry, am I interrupting anything, Chris?" A tall red-haired girl suddenly popped her head in through the door. Jill immediately stepped back, snatching her hand as though burned. She looked at Chris almost accusingly, her gaze switching from him to the unknown girl and back again.

Chris didn't notice. He was too busy glaring at the young woman who was grinning toothily at him. "Yes, as a matter of fact, you were," he said, his low voice a growl. "Jill, this is Claire," he said, indicating the red-haired girl who waved cheerfully. "My bratty little sister, and the reason why I couldn't pick you up myself."

Jill barely registered Claire's amused outrage. She was in shock. So that was the reason why Chris was gone for a long time. At the same time, she surprised at the wave of relief that flooded her senses. His sister. She was so busy with these strange thoughts that entered her mind that she started when Claire waved a hand in front of her face. "Uh, what?" Jill asked, shaking her head to clear it. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I said, it's nice to finally meet the famous Jill Valentine at last," Claire said, grinning at her. The younger girl had been paying attention to the former S.T.A.R.S. members' reactions, from the scene she just interrupted, to Jill's glare toward her, and Chris's look of frustration. She was amused and delighted at what she saw.

"Oh, I don't know about famous, not only you count those news reports about me being a cop version of Chicken Little," Jill said wryly.

"Oh, who cares about the news these days, anyway?" Claire replied, waving her hand. "I'm talking about my dolt of a brother here, who can't seem to talk about anything about you. His letters were bad enough, but he went on and on about how great you were on our way here. It's nice to finally put a face to the name," Claire said, grinning widely.

"Oh, he did, did he?" Jill said, with a smirk, looking up at Chris, who was scarlet with embarrassment.

Claire looked at the scene with satisfaction. It looks like her brother might get something good out of this yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

Jill emptied the handgun clip, her third for the day, on the target range. It was actually the huge basement of the building they were using, but Chris and Barry had modified it so that they could get some practice on their shooting. Just as she was loading a new clip, someone entered the room.

"Hey," Chris greeted her. He looked at the hole-filled target that Jill was practicing on, and whistled. "Remind me not to get on your bad side, Valentine. What did that poor guy do to you?"

Jill chuckled, as she swung the gun down. "That guy said I hit like a girl," she replied, going along with the joke.

Chris grinned back at her. He positioned himself beside her and started to check out the handgun he'll be using for practice. "Oh, he did, did he? Guess he didn't see you take on those zombies back in the mansion," he quipped, and then instantly regretted his words when Jill's smile disappeared. "Damn it. Sorry Jill, that was a bad joke."

Jill shrugged it off, but it was obvious that she was hurt by that last line. "No problem, just… Just don't say something like that again, okay?"

Chris nodded his understanding, and he proceeded to shoot his target, almost the same time that Jill aimed for hers again. The sound of shots rang off the air. It was here that Chris didn't need to think, not really. Target shooting was second nature to him. People were often amazed at how good a sharpshooter he is, but he shrugged it off, since he felt that since it came naturally to him, it wasn't something that's worth bragging about, compared to something he worked hard for to achieve. The activity allowed his mind to think of more important things, namely, the person on his side.

_Smooth move, Redfield, _he berated himself. _Way to get on her good side. _He kept forgetting that for her tough exterior, Jill was a real softie inside, and he knew that having to kill those things, even if they weren't human any more, cut her to the core. She wasn't like the other officers who were trigger-happy and only looked for opportunities to use force. That's the main reason she chose B & E and bomb disposal as her areas of specialization, even if she was a good shot. She preferred to use reasoning and her wits than brawn. He found himself sneaking glances at her. She wasn't beautiful in the classical sense, nor like the women Chris had been involved with in the past. He preferred them blonde, utterly feminine, and (to his embarrassment) not all that great up there, and Jill was none of those. She was a brunette, her eyes were a little too big, her mouth a bit wide, and her actions more tomboyish than girly. Her hair was cut short, more for convenience than fashion. She wasn't his type at all, and yet Chris felt drawn to her, not only physically, but to her as a whole. She had a quick wit about her, ready with a comeback the second someone teases her about something. She was smart too, else she wouldn't have gotten into Delta and later, STARS at such an early age. What Chris loved the most about her, though, is her compassion. She didn't show it often, especially when they were still in the force because of her fear that it would be taken against her especially since she's a woman, but those close to her knew about it, and respected her for it. Chris felt privileged that he was one of the few who knew about it, and he mentally kicked himself again for that moment of crassness. He remembered the days back when they were still STARS. Even then, there was an attraction between them, shown in subtle flirtation and looking out after each other that went well beyond what was required as partners. They didn't act on it then, as it was career suicide to get involved with a co-worker. _But you're not in STARS any longer, are you? _A small voice told him. But he couldn't… Suddenly, the image of Carlos Oliveira, the South American guy he was introduced to a few days back, popped in his head, and he felt a stab of jealousy. Who was he in Jill's life?

For her part, Jill was also pondering on her partner. She didn't take his comment personally. Not really, anyway. She knew that Chris wasn't the type who would joke about other people's demise, and he didn't really make that statement out of malice. Again, she wondered why Chris wasn't the one who picked her and Carlos up from Raccoon City. After all, he was the better pilot between him and Barry, and she was his partner, after all. She tried hard not to be hurt by it, but she couldn't help but be puzzled about the situation, especially after her talk with Claire the previous day. To her surprise, she found out that Chris's sister and a rookie cop named Leon Kennedy were in Raccoon City almost the same time as she and Carlos were, and escaped at almost the same time, so it wasn't that that held the older Redfield back. Her thoughts went back to Barry's words. _He found a lead on Umbrella. _Maybe that's it. Knowing how determined Chris could get when he put his mind to it, he could have been tracing the biotech company and just lost track of things. _But, _a small voice in her head whispered to her, _he had the time to tell Barry to pick you up. _

"Chris, Jill," Barry's voice invaded their musings, "Get up here." They looked up to see the big man at the top of the stairs, looking down at them. "If the newest intel we got is correct, you might get the chance to start shooting real targets in a few days."

Chris and Jill looked at each other. Scared eyes met determined ones. Wordlessly, they put their guns down and headed downstairs.

"Okay, here's the deal," Claire said, once Chris and Jill joined them. Barry was already sitting on an armchair, Carlos sprawled on one of the couches. A huge monitor and some device dominated the front of the room, and Claire was standing right beside it. "We're going to be talking to Leon S. Kennedy. Chris, I think you've talked to him before," she looked over at her brother, who nodded, "but for those who don't know him, he's the cop I escaped with from Raccoon City. Since he's still in the force, he was able to get in touch with his contacts, and he received some news that might interest you all."

Chris did a double-take when he saw that his younger sister was the one taking charge. He knew that she's a tough kid, but to see her in front, talking to cops (and a mercenary), was something new to him. Unaccountably, he felt proud of his sister, even if he found the situation more than a little strange. _But then again, nothing about this is normal. We have three ex-police officers, a university student who doubles as a biker, a mercenary preparing to take down a multinational company, known and respected all over the world. Not to mention that we have a prodigy as old as my sister who's out somewhere looking for a convicted felon to be on our side. _

"Chris!" He looked up to see Jill, as well as everyone in the room, looking at him strangely. "Are you okay?" She asked softly, her eyebrows wrinkled. He nodded, somewhat dazed. He didn't realize that they've been calling his attention.

"Now that Chris is back to Earth," Claire said, somewhat huffily, "I'll be calling Leon now." She pressed a button on the receiver. "Leon, can you hear me? Can you see us?"

The monitor suddenly came to life, revealing a man who can't be in his mid-twenties with parted dark blond hair. "Hi Claire, yes, I can hear you," he said. There was a bit of static, but the voice was audible.

"Hi Leon, these are Barry, Carlos, Jill, and my brother Chris," Claire answered, giving a quick round of names. "Is this line secure?"

"Yes, mom, it is," Leon said, rolling his eyes but smiling at the same time. "You didn't really think that I'm going to go and let everyone in the world know about this, did you? We'd be locked up in an institution faster than you can say 'flesh-eating zombie.'"

"Okay, okay, just making sure," Claire answered, holding her hands in front of her. "Can you tell them what you told me a while ago?"

"Okay," Leon dropped his playful tone and took on a professional air. "There's news going around in the department that Umbrella's planning on a new 'biological project', or reviving an old one, so I did some digging, and it looks like what they're planning is something big."

"How big?" Chris asked tersely.

"Try 'world-wide launch' big," Leon answered grimly. "Of course, Umbrella's keeping mum about what the project is, but it looks like they're planning on releasing something on major cities worldwide simultaneously. Targets include Paris, New York, London, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. News leaks have mentioned that it might be the ultimate cure for cancer or AIDS, but knowing Umbrella, that's not what it would be."

"What can we do about it?" Barry asked.

"If we target the source, maybe we could…" Carlos said, leaving his sentence hanging.

"Leon, do you have any idea where the main offices of Umbrella are?" Chris asked.

"So far, I haven't pinpointed the exact location, but from what I'm getting, there's one in Germany. I'll let you know as soon as I get word."

"Thanks, Leon." Claire said. She turned off the receiver. "Well?" She asked the others.

"So far, we don't have any clear idea where we're headed…" Chris replied.

"And if we do get word, what then?" Heads whipped to turn to Jill, who stood up as she spoke.

"We take down Umbrella, of course," Chris answered, surprised at Jill's question.

"Of course," Jill gave an unladylike snort. "And then what?"

"Well, we…" He was at a loss for words.

Jill snorted again. "Exactly. Do you even have any idea how we're going to take down Umbrella? Did you really think that the five of us could just march in and tell them to shut down?"

Barry spoke up. "Rebecca and Billy…"

"Oh right, I forgot," Jill said, rolling her eyes. "There are two more in our group. Whoopee. So there would be seven of us who would be facing zombies, monsters, and probably armies that Umbrella hired." She turned to Carlos. "You know about them, don't you? After all, you were part of them."

"Now wait just a minute," Carlos started to protest, but Chris interrupted him.

"Jill, I don't think you're being fair," he started, but Jill cut him off.

"Fair? Fair? There's nothing fair about this situation," she all but shouted. "We're seriously thinking of going on a suicide mission. At first I thought we had a shot at this, but now, I'm just tired of this." She walked out of the room.

And there's Chapter III for you! From this point on, I'll be tweaking the personalities of the characters, as I wanted to put a more human element to them. Sure, we know them as brave, determined, and all that, but I want to show that since they're regular people, they have moments when they get scared, frustrated, angry, and that they also have the capacity to screw up. Hopefully, you'll like what I did with that, but if not, you can tell me. As always, R&R please.:) Thanks to those who are sticking with the story and have left reviews so far.:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

After a moment of stunned surprise, Chris said, "I'll talk to her," and took off after Jill. He knew that whenever she got upset, she'd lock herself in her room, and sure enough the door was closed when he reached it.

"Jill?" he called, knocking on the door.

"Please go away," came the reply.

Chris hesitated, and then he said softly, "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Jill paused. She was at the opposite side of the door, sitting against it, hugging her knees. It was the first time she heard Chris sound so unsure of himself. "Yeah… Yeah, I do," she answered, just as softly. "I just want to be left alone for a while, please." She wondered if Chris heard her answer.

He had. "Alright then," he answered after a while. "If you want to talk, you know my door's always open." He opened his mouth, as though to say something more, but decided against it. Instead, he turned around and came face-to-face with Carlos.

"Hey," he said coldly.

Carlos looked surprised at Chris's undisguised hostility. "Hi amigo," he said hesitatingly. "The chika hasn't come out yet?"

"Watch your words," Chris said, gritting his teeth. Without realizing it, his right hand formed into a fist.

"Alright, alright," Carlos said, holding his hands palms open as though in defense. "I didn't mean anything by it. Look, let me talk to her, okay? She might open up to me."

"Good luck with that," Chris sneered. "She didn't talk to me. What makes you think she would talk to you?"

"Maybe because I know what's happening to her."

Chris instantly raised his head to look at the Brazilian, expecting a smug smile, but only saw a haunted look. In spite of himself, he asked the question in his head. "What do you mean?" he asked hoarsely.

"While you were out playing commando, Jill and I had to fight for our lives," Carlos answered.

"Look, Jill and I know how that's like. She and I worked as law enforcers, remember?" Chris replied impatiently.

"You may know what it's like, but you don't know what it's like to have your town suddenly turn into monsters," Carlos told him. "I didn't grow up in Raccoon City, I don't know what it's like to call a place home, but even I know how hard it was for Jill, who not only saw that the people she met with every day suddenly became zombies, but had to kill them to survive."

"We fought zombies in the mansion," Chris replied. He clenched his teeth. "We saw our comrades killed, damn it!"

"She told me you fought in the Arklay mansion together, but that didn't even cover half of what we had to go through. You saw your comrades killed, even fought them, but that's crap compared to what Jill had to go through. Man, woman, child, animal… It didn't matter. We had to kill them, or be killed. Do you even understand how bad it is for Jill? Imagine having to shoot your own neighbor, or the grocer who sold you vegetables every Wednesday. Do you even know what it's like to have an entire town at your heels, wanting your blood?" Carlos was relentless. "You don't even know we had to go through before we got out of that hellhole. Did you even know that Jill became infected back in Raccoon City?"

"What?" Chris was shocked. This was the first time he heard of it.

"For partners, you sure don't know important things about each other," Carlos sneered. "One of those ugly monsters injected her with something. I had to go and find a cure for her, it's a good thing there was a vaccine in the hospital, or God knows what would happen to her. Where were you then, eh, Redfield? Where were you when Jill needed you?" Chris couldn't reply. He was too shocked at the news. Carlos continued. "You weren't there, Redfield, but I was. And right now, she might need me more than she needs you," he shouldered past Chris and knocked on Jill's door, calling her softly. To Chris's sick surprise, the door opened, and he stepped in.

"What's going on? I thought I heard you arguing with someone outside," Jill asked Carlos as she let him in before shutting the door again.

"Never mind that now," Carlos replied. "How are you?", he asked, turning to her. He saw that her eyes were bloodshot. "You were crying." It was a statement, not a question.

"It's nothing," Jill said, attempting to wipe her face dry.

"It's not nothing," Carlos disagreed. He gently brushed away some tears. "You scared us back there," he said softly.

Jill pulled away, and turned to sit on one of the chairs in her room. Carlos sat opposite her, looking at her attentively. She attempted to compose herself, breathing deeply. Finally, she answered in a low voice, "I'm scared," she admitted softly.

"We all are," Carlos replied.

"I know, but mine's different. Every time I close my eyes, I see them. I see their faces. I know I should be protecting the world so that Raccoon City doesn't happen all over again, but I don't think I can fight again. Not anymore."

Carlos took a deep breath. "Are you sure about this?" He asked her.

"Yes… No… I don't know," Jill said, sighing. "All I know is that I'm getting tired of this. I'm tired of the fighting, of the nightmares. I don't know if I can continue doing this. I don't even know if we're going to be successful in this. Maybe it will end after Germany, but what if it doesn't? Will we end up fighting Umbrella for the rest of our lives?"

"I don't really know," Carlos admitted. "I want to see this 'til the end, though."

"But what if it doesn't?" Jill persisted. "What if we die in one of our missions, and Umbrella still lives on? What if we face Nemesis again?" She shuddered at the thought of the creature that followed her in Raccoon City, that stalked her still, in her dreams.

Carlos moved up to her and hugged her. "It will be alright," he soothed.

Jill had started to relax, but stiffened when he felt Carlos's hand on her chin, trying to pull her in for a kiss. She pushed him gently and stepped back. "I hope so," she murmured.

Carlos hesitated, then headed for the door. "Get some sleep, alright, _chika_? It might look better in the morning." He left the room.

"I hope so," Jill repeated, whispering to herself. "I hope so."

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's Chapter IV for you. I'm sorry that it's a bit short, but it makes sense that this is the flow of it (for me, anyway). As always, R&R. Again, thanks for the ones who've left their lovely reviews. You've put a great start on my 2009. lol Enjoy reading.:)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

The next few days saw the five waiting anxiously for word from Leon about Umbrella. However, save for Rebecca's cheery message that she found Billy and that they were on their way back to Europe, they didn't get any information outside the building. Claire took to pacing, Barry brought out their ammo and examined them piece by piece, while an uneasy silence went between Chris, Jill, and Carlos. The older Redfield kept throwing glares at Jill and Carlos, thinking the worst between the two. The Brazilian would glare back when he caught Chris snarling at him. On the other hand, Jill was always downcast, never lifting her head. She regretted her outburst a few days back, but the time allowed her to think more clearly of her decision. She was so focused on her own thoughts that she didn't notice the tension between Chris and Carlos until Claire finally snapped.

"That's it!" she exclaimed, startling the occupants of the room, including Barry who paused in the middle of wiping his beloved magnum. "What's wrong with the three of you?" She continued, staring accusingly at Chris, Carlos, and Jill. "We're supposed to be a team, working together! What the hell is up with the dagger looks and the silence?"

"Claire…" Chris warned. He knew that once her sister gained steam, there was no stopping her.

"Don't 'Claire' me, Chris!" Claire yelled at him. "I thought I was the youngest here, but you're acting like children! Now, either you fix this mess or you…" The phone suddenly rang. Claire immediately ran up to it and answered it. "Hello, Leon?" She said breathlessly.

"Saved by the bell," Chris muttered, the same time that Jill murmured, "Amazing what a single phone call can do." They heard each other's remarks and glanced at each other, smiling, for the first time in days.

"Guys, Leon's got a lead!" Claire shouted. She jotted down something on a piece of paper, while saying, "Okay, got it, yes, I'm writing it down, will contact you as soon as possible," and then slammed down the phone.

"What? No goodbye for loverboy?" Chris said sarcastically.

Claire ignored him, and instead waved the paper about. "I got the coordinates!" She said excitedly. "Leon got tipped off by one of his sources. We're heading to Germany!"

Carlos gave a whoop, and Chris and Barry gave each other a high-five. Only one person didn't seem to be pleased.

"What's wrong, Jill? I thought you'd be happy," Chris said, his grin faltering.

"Oh, I am," Jill forced a smile on her face. "But I've made my decision. I won't be joining the mission."

"What?" Startled faces looked at her.

"What do you mean you're not joining the mission?" Claire asked, finally finding her voice.

"Oh, I'll be helping you out," Jill said hastily. "But I won't be with you to penetrate the base. You do need someone to monitor your movements, right?" She said, trying to be upbeat.

"If that's your final decision," Chris said slowly. He didn't understand what was going on in Jill's head, but if that's her call, then he'll have to respect it. He raised a hand to stop Barry, who looked like he was going to say something.

"It is," Jill affirmed. She knew that her choice confused her partner, but she appreciated that Chris didn't push her to join the fight. "I'll still be with you, just… Not there." Jill looked at him, and Chris saw her eyes, luminous with some unsaid emotion, and he swallowed.

He nodded to her, hoping he made the right decision. "If that's the case, Claire, you're staying too," he said, turning to his sister.

"What?" Claire said angrily. "I can handle a fight, Leon can attest to that! Besides, Jill doesn't need a babysitter, do you, Jill?"

"Of course not!" Jill exclaimed, surprised that she suddenly found herself in the middle of a Redfield fight.

"That's not the point," Chris said, tiredly running a hand through his hair. "We need at least two people to monitor the place for us, and, don't take this the wrong way, since you're the one with the least experience, then I think you should be one of the guides."

Claire looked at Barry, Carlos, and Jill, who looked sympathetically at her, but didn't leap in her defense. "Fine," she muttered angrily.

Chris sighed exasperatedly. "Claire, you know I'm proud of what you've done back in Raccoon City, but it's time that we take over, okay?" His tone changed. "You're my only family. I don't want to lose you too."

Claire's eyes softened. "Alright then, but remember, you're _my _only family too, so if you do anything stupid like get yourself killed, I'm not going to forgive you."

Chris smiled at his sister. "I'll return, I promise," he vowed.

Barry smiled at them. He knew firsthand how important family is. He cleared his throat. "Chris, Jill, can you prepare the surveillance equipment we'll be needing?"

Chris jumped at the chance to be alone with Jill. It was time to clear things once and for all. "Sure thing, Barry." Jill nodded her agreement. The two headed for the makeshift storage room where they stashed their equipment.

After a few minutes, Chris cleared his throat. "So," he started, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Jill looked at him quizzically. "Yeah, me too," she answered him. "Thanks again for understanding Chris," she said haltingly. "I know I promised to take down Umbrella with you but… Well, at least you're still making me see through my promise, in my own way."

"Yeah, no problem," Chris forced his voice to be more cheerful than he felt. "I'm glad that _Carlos _helped you make your decision." He meant his tone to be teasing, but it came out harder than he expected, showing what he really felt.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jill said a little angrily.

"Take it for what it means," Chris shrugged. "You didn't talk to me, but you talked to Carlos. I get it."

Jill got on her feet angrily. "Carlos understood what I was going through, which is more than I can say about you," she hissed.

Chris stood up too. He was angry too. "And I don't? After all those years we've been through as partners, and you don't think I don't understand you?"

"What kind of partner leaves the other alone?" Jill shouted at him. "You're so obsessed with Umbrella, that you're willing to sacrifice friends just so you can bring them down! Some partner you make!"

"We're over that, Jill!" Chris yelled back. "You said that it was alright, that it didn't matter."

"You're the one who brought it up in the first place!" Jill exclaimed. "Besides, what right do you have to go and get angry? If I wanted to talk to Carlos, then I would! It's none of your business!"

"Well, I'm making it my business!" Chris shouted. "Especially since I love you and I don't know what's happening in your life anymore!"

Jill stepped back, shocked at Chris's revelation, who stood on the side, his shoulders heaving with emotion.

A small tap at the door broke the tension. "Uh, is this a bad time? I heard yelling." Claire asked, her face worried.

It was Jill who recovered first. "No, it's fine. We're just about done," she answered, ignoring Chris completely. "What's up?"

"Barry wants to go ahead with the planning of the infiltration and want you guys back up. Can you follow?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're on our way," Jill replied, and headed out the door, leaving Chris to stare after her.

Boom! This was a pretty fun (but hard!) chapter to write, so I hoped you like it too. If you're wondering what's going to happen next, do stick around. I've more or less got an idea where I'm taking this story, so yeah. As always, R&R (thanks for those who've added their reviews already, they mean a lot, seriously). Also, thanks for those who've read it, but I'd be more thankful if you left comments, even if it's just a couple of sentences.:P It's always nice to know what others think.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

It was "Infiltration Day," as Claire dubbed it. Plans had been finalized. Barry, Chris, and Carlos were to enter one of the factories seemingly abandoned by Umbrella. Leon had managed to hack into their mainframe and gotten the blueprints of the place. Unfortunately, there were some areas that the maps did not show, places that the BUD (Bring Umbrella Down, another one of Claire's names) believed were the most integral parts of the factory.

"Now remember," Leon said, over the intercom, "Your task for today is only to see what these areas are. It is not your job yet to blow the place up, we'll get to that in due time. I'm making arrangements for that, in the meantime…"

"We know, Leon," Barry replied, more than a little irritably. "We've talked about this a number of times already!" The plan for today had shifted. Because of the missing areas, today would be an exploratory mission, to fill in the blanks, as it were. Their job was to scout the area and see where these places lead to. That's where Barry, Chris, and Carlos come in. The trio, Leon, and Claire and Jill were connected via radio, and they were on their way to make one of the boldest moves they could make against Umbrella.

"Even if the factory seems abandoned, don't lower your defenses," Leon warned. "I'm already trying to make negotiations to have the company taken down, but since we don't have the evidence yet, you need to try and find something, anything that would incriminate them. Try and get it, but at the same time, don't get yourself killed. You only have three hours before the system goes into defensive lockdown, so you have to get out before that. Is that clear?"

"We get it, _amigo,"_ Carlos replied, annoyed. "Are you also going to tell us how to tie our shoelaces?"

In spite of himself, Leon laughed. "Sorry, guys. I'm new to this, and the situation's making me more than a little jumpy."

"Don't drink any more coffee today then," Barry retorted. "I remember Chris's first mission and he had too much caffeine." He shook his head at the memory. "That's not something I would want to see again, is that right, Chris," he called out to the younger man, but he wasn't listening. Instead, Chris was thinking about what happened a few days back.

"Remember to keep these on you at all times," Jill had said crisply, her tone business-like as she handed the three their transceivers before they left the base. "This captures both audio and video, so we'll know what's going on with you during the mission. You will not, in any circumstance, take them off, even if you feel the need to visit the washroom, perish forbid why you would do so during the mission." She had avoided looking at Chris as she handed him his unit, but she had felt his eyes on her all the same. When she reached Carlos, she had taken extra care to put the device on him, unlike with the other two.

"You know how this works, right?" She had asked the mercenary. "Just clip this on your back, and…" She had been rewarded by a growl from Chris, and was secretly elated. It had been two weeks since Chris's revelation, and she had avoided him since. Jill didn't know what was really going on, if Chris was just playing her for the fool, and she decided that she didn't want to know. _It's better this way, _she thought to herself. _At least I could keep myself from getting hurt. Besides, Carlos is a good man. _During that span of time of avoiding Chris, she made it a point to stay close with the mercenary, maybe because in her subconscious, she wanted to hurt Chris as much as he hurt her.

She was winning. Chris had ground his teeth at seeing her put on Carlos's transceiver for him. He risked everything by telling her what he really felt, and he was rewarded with this. He knew that she knew that he knew she was just doing it to show him up, and he also bloody well knew that he can't do anything about it. He was frustrated with the situation, especially since Carlos seemed to enjoy the situation. As Jill passed him again, he held on to her arm, "Can we talk?" He had growled.

Jill had finally looked at him, and he was struck by how cold her eyes were. "You're hurting me," she had said, and he was forced to let her go.

At that moment, Carlos had decided to get between them. "Hey Jill, can I talk to you for a couple of minutes before we leave?"

Just as she had treated Chris coldly, so she had turned to Carlos with as much warmth as she could muster. "Sure, Carlos! What about?" She had said brightly, right in front of Chris, setting his teeth to the edge.

"Let's go somewhere a little more private," Carlos had said, giving a speaking look to Chris and then pulling Jill gently off to the side. The action pissed Chris a little more, and it was all he could do to punch the Brazilian in the face. He held his ground though, and just watched them, his eyes glowering.

"Okay, what's going on between you and him?" Carlos had asked Jill without preamble.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jill had said innocently.

"Jill, I'm not as dumb as I look," Carlos had admonished her. "Why are you doing this?"

Under Carlos's observant gaze, she caved. "I don't know," she had confessed.

"I think you do," Carlos had told her. "I've been going along with it because I thought that maybe you'll start looking at me the same way you do to him, but I don't think that will ever happen, not with him there," he had said, and had nudged his head a bit to indicate Chris, who was glaring at them. "And honestly, I don't think it's fair to any of us if you continue doing so," he said gently, looking at Jill.

"Oh," was all she could say. She knew that Carlos was attracted to her, but she didn't know what the depth was until now. She suddenly felt ashamed of herself.

He had smiled down at her. "Don't worry, no harm done, at least, not yet," he added, looking apprehensive when he saw Chris stomping his way toward them.

"It's time to go," Chris had said coldly to Carlos. He didn't even glance at Jill, he just turned around and stomped back to where Barry was standing.

"I have to go, _chika._ Just… Don't be scared to tell him, alright?" Carlos had said to Jill.

"I will." For the first time in days, Jill found herself smiling genuinely. "Thanks Carlos, and… I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad I could help," he had said, and waved at her.

That was three days ago. Now that she and Claire were alone in their base, Jill cursed herself for not acting on Carlos's words.

"Hey, what do you suppose they'll encounter?" Claire asked her.

"Dunno."

"I hope they make their way back here safe."

"Yeah."

"I really hate those rabid mutts, don't you?"

"Yep."

"What's the matter with you?" Claire asked irritably. "I'd put your grumpiness down for nerves, but you've been like that for weeks now."

"Sorry, Claire," Jill said, looking at the younger woman apologetically. "I know I'm not good company these days."

"Good company, my ass!" Claire scoffed. "That couch was a better companion than you!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Jill apologized again.

"What's the matter anyway? You and Carlos have a fight?" she said, with a hint of censure in her voice.

Jill's back immediately stiffened. "I don't think it's any of your business."

"Yeah, well, if it involves my brother, I'm making it my business," Claire said huffily, and Jill was forcibly reminded of her fight with Chris. "I didn't really say anything before, because Chris would skin me alive if I did, but since he's not here now, what's going on between the two of you? From his stories, I thought you two were inseparable, but now, you don't even talk. What's up with that?"

"What makes you think I'm not going to skin you alive if you continue?" Jill said, trying to turn the whole thing into a joke.

Claire gave her a disgusted look. "Joke all you must, but I think there's something going on between the two of you more than you're willing to admit. I don't think you're serious about Carlos, not if the way you and my brother look at each other are any indication…" The intercom suddenly beeped. "Oops! That's got to be them! We'll continue this later," she told Jill ominously, as she pressed a button. "This is Claire."

"Claire? This is Chris," came the receiver. "We're at the side of the factory."

Claire checked her monitor. "Okay, you should be seeing a small door there. Open it."

Chris turned the knob. "It's locked."

Claire swore. "I thought you unlocked every automated lock there is," she radioed Leon accusingly.

"I did," came Leon's voice. That must not be an automated door, then."

"Yep, he's right," Chris said. "The door's got a simple lock, if this keyhole's any indication."

"Crazy Umbrella with its idea of looking normal," Barry's voice said.

Jill can almost imagine him shaking his head. She took over. "Chris? Do you copy?"

Silence, and then, "Yeah, Jill, I hear you."

"Remember the rods and wires I gave you for Christmas last year? Did you bring it like I told you?"

"Yeah, what about?"

"Can you zoom in on the lock, please?"

Chris pressed a button on the device perched on his ear, and Jill found herself staring at the lock. "Cake," she muttered to herself. "Okay, here's what you do," she said aloud, addressing Chris. "Take out the pouch I gave you. Look for the middle-sized rod, no, not that one, the one beside it, insert it in the keyhole. Then, look for the second to the longest wire, twist the end a bit, yeah, that's it, and then put it directly above the keyhole. Try and move them simultaneously together, the rod upwards and the wire to the right."

"Are you sure about this?" Chris asked dubiously.

"I am, go!"

Chris swore the first few times he tried to do it. Unlike Jill's thin, nimble fingers, his were large, and it took skill and practice before he could follow the instructions. It didn't help that Carlos was on to his side muttering, "_Chika_'s gone _loca_," over and over again. It was several more minutes before he heard a faint click. He twisted the doorknob, and it turned obediently.

"I did it," he said disbelievingly.

"Nice going, Jill," she can imagine Barry giving a broad grin. "You're still the master of unlocking!"

Jill glowed with pride. "Thanks, Barry. Nice work, Chris."

"Thanks… partner," Chris said softly, but Jill heard, and she blushed.

Claire grinned when she saw Jill change color. "Well, well, isn't that interesting?" She said, her smile wide, enjoying Jill's discomfort. "Never knew that there were that many shades of red, Jill."

"Oh, shut up!" Jill said furiously, trying to keep her face from turning red further. "Stick to the mission!"

Claire laughed. "Fine, fine, but remember I said I'm not done with you and my brother yet," she said giggling. She grabbed her headphones again. "Okay, you're in. Here's what you do…"

Chris couldn't help but grin as he followed his sister's directions. He heard the exchange between Claire and Jill, and he can't help but be hopeful about what happens to them. _After the mission, _he thought to himself, _after the mission, I'm going to straighten out everything with her. _

It's finally "Infiltration Day"! Obviously, battles are going to be ahead. I'm not really used to writing fight scenes and such, so if the battle sequences are a little lame, I apologize. Anyway, R&R.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

They've been in the factory for almost two hours, plenty of room to spare. Thanks to Jill, Claire, and Leon's directions, they were able to explore six of the seven rooms already. Most of these were empty, without even shelves or tables to indicate that these have been occupied. Others contained glass chambers and chemicals with labels Chris couldn't even pronounce, but these were not enough evidence to show the atrocities done by Umbrella.

"Chemical X, eh?" Barry said, squinting as he read one of the labels. "What, add sugar and spice and…" He raised his head to see Chris and Carlos giving him a strange look. "What?" Barry said, more than a bit defensively. "I watch 'Powerpuff Girls' with my girls! Saturday morning is family bonding time."

Carlos shook his head, and muttered, "This is why I decided not to be a family man," and proceeded on. However, after going through more rooms and not finding any evidence or anything incriminating, he had paged Leon. "Hey, man, are you sure there's something here? We've been here for two hours already, and we can't find anything."

"There should be something there. I had to dig through a whole bunch of data before I could uncover this base," Leon said, frustratedly. "Umbrella wouldn't have buried the information this deep if it wasn't worth crap."

"Okay then," Carlos said, and he raised his semi-automatic and proceeded into the next room, flanked by Barry and Chris.

They found themselves in a large room, almost church-like in appearance, with stained glass windows aligned near the ceiling. The place was far from holy though, as the room was littered with chemicals and glass chambers, and this time, they were far from empty.

"Whoa," Chris breathed, as he saw huge frog-like creatures floating in the liquid of the tanks.

"Hunters," Carlos said. "I encountered these in the Raccoon City Hospital."

"These don't look like the Hunters I've encountered in Arklay," Chris said doubtfully.

"I read the labels on the tanks, Redfield. Trust me, they're Hunters," Carlos said derisively.

They were interrupted by Barry's startled exclamation. "What is this?" Chris and Carlos immediately proceeded to the area where the older man was standing, and was struck anew by the creatures in the tanks. The beings there looked like they belonged in a sci-fi movie. Grotesque forms, some looking like cross-breeds between apes and frogs, others flies and lizards. There were even some creatures that didn't look like anything at all, their forms too misshapen to resemble anything else.

"Looks like we hit jackpot," Barry said. "Are you getting this, Jill, Claire?"

"Yep, clear as day," Jill's voice came out.

"Looks like we've finally got the evidence we need to bust Umbrella, once and for all," Leon's voice added.

"Spread out," Barry instructed Chris and Carlos. "Let's get as much footage of this as possible. That way, there's no doubt that Umbrella's messing with around."

They were so intent in getting the footage that they didn't hear the sound that was coming from the connecting room, not until the door burst open and their ears were filled with wet, slapping sounds and guttural moans, and their noses with the putrid smell of death.

"Holy…" Chris gasped out, and raised his gun almost by instinct.

"Chris, what's the matter?" Jill called out, straining to see what was happening in the monitor, but the surrounding area was too dark. "What's going on?"

"Zombies," came the terse reply. "Lots of 'em. Aim carefully!" Chris shouted at Barry and Carlos. "We don't know what will happen if we hit one of the tanks!" To illustrate the point, he fired his gun three times, hitting a trio of zombies in quick succession, making their heads explode and spreading blood and brains around.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Carlos said grimly, taking careful aim with his rifle and shooting the approaching zombies.

Through the monitors, Claire and Jill felt helpless, watching their comrades in the carnage. Limbs, brains, and guts flew about in the room, but the three men hardly paid attention, focusing solely on defeating the unholy creatures approaching them. It seemed that there was an endless supply of the zombies. For every one they killed, three appeared to replace them, and they were all looking for blood. Hungry moans filled the air, to the level that was almost deafening.

"Guys, if you could pull back, do it now!" Leon's voice broke through the moans. "You've only got thirty minutes before the factory shuts down on you! We've already got enough proof to nail Umbrella's ass. Leave now!"

"Not yet!" Chris shouted. He had spied the opening where the zombies were spilling out. "I have to check where this horde is coming from! We might just find out what Umbrella has! Oliveira, provide cover!" And he sprinted his way through the door, leaving Carlos to run after him, swearing sulfurously. With a few well-aimed shots, he got rid of the zombies blocking the doorway, and he entered. What he saw made him speechless.

"What the hell are you doing, man?" Carlos yelled at him. He had finally managed to catch up with Chris and was shooting at the zombies heading for them. He slammed the door behind him to prevent any back attacks. "Didn't you hear Kennedy? We have to pull back or else…" He too was struck dumb with what he saw.

A half-dozen glass chambers, even bigger than the ones from the room they had just left filled the space. Inside it were identical creatures, almost gigantic in appearance. With a sinking heart, Chris remembered the final monster he, Jill, Barry, and Rebecca confronted in Arklay. Tyrants. Yet while these resembled the BOW they had confronted, there seemed to be something different about these.

"Nemesis," Carlos breathed out, answering Chris's unasked question. The Brazilian mercenary will never forget the creature that hounded his and Jill's footsteps back in Raccoon City. While these monsters were still locked in stasis, there was no mistaking them for what they were. Chris and Carlos stared at the monstrosities in fascinated horror. Almost twice as huge as the Tyrant, its body was covered completely with tentacles, some of which swayed in time with the water's movements. One hand is significantly larger than the other, with brutal-looking claws extending from it. Its mouth was curled in a lipless grin. The creatures were obviously not fully developed as of yet, but even then, they already looked deadly.

"Very good. You're smarter than you look." Chris and Carlos pivoted around, and saw a blonde man rapidly approaching them, wearing a pair of black sunglasses in spite of the near darkness the room was enshrouded in.

"Wesker," Chris growled out.

"Hello Chris. Didn't think you'd see me this soon now, did you?" Wesker laughed softly, the sound eerie in the silence. "You two won't be needing these anymore." A flash of movement, and before Chris could react, Wesker had reappeared in front of them, this time holding their transceivers.

Wesker spoke into one of the devices. "Jill Valentine. I know you're there. If you want to save your two… lovers," and Wesker's voice dripped with malice as he said the last word, "you will come in here to rescue them. Alone. Bring anyone else with you, and I'll make sure that these two will be… well taken care of." He laughed softly again, turning off the transceivers as he did so.

"Don't involve Jill in this!" Chris roared at his former captain, and lunged forward. "I'm the one you want, face me!" Wesker easily avoided his charge, and sent his hand flying, catching Chris at the back of neck, and he promptly collapsed.

As Chris struggled to maintain consciousness, he seemed to hear Wesker say, "Dear, dear Chris. Did you really think the whole world revolved around you? This is something bigger than you would ever be." Wesker's soft laugh was the last thing Chris heard before the darkness enveloped him.

Jill was horrified. How could the circumstances have changed so quickly? She cursed herself. She should've known it was a trap. It couldn't have been that easy to recover anything from Umbrella. She felt a surge of hatred for her former captain. _Wesker. That bastard will pay. _She clenched her fists.

Beside her, Claire was beside herself. "Please tell me that didn't just happen," she said shakily. Her age betrayed her then, and she looked very much like a kid as she shook like a leaf. "Please tell me they weren't just caught by that sick asshole."

Jill turned to Claire, looking at the face so unlike Chris, and yet still somehow resembled the older Redfield, and who was trembling with a combination of rage and shock. "Claire…"

Suddenly, the door to the surveillance room banged open.

"We're back!" Rebecca Chambers chirped in brightly. Right behind her was a dark, tattooed young man, who could only be Billy Coen. "Did we miss anything?"

And now the gang's all here! I couldn't resist putting in an all-star cast to my story, but rest assured, there's actually a point why all of them are here.:D Anyway, R&R, as always.:)


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

"Are you sure about this?" Claire asked Jill, somewhat apprehensively. They were in the equipments room, and Jill was busy pulling things here and there and assembling some strange devices in preparation for her siege of the Umbrella base.

"Of course I'm sure!" Jill snarled. "We can't just sit on our asses. Chris is in trouble!"

"And Carlos," Claire couldn't help but remind her. "But you and I know that it's a trap, and if you…"

"Look, do you want to find him… them or not?" Jill snapped.

"He's my brother, Jill, and I want to find him too! But if you charge alone, you might end up having them, or yourself killed! Leon's already…"

"By the time Leon's men get there, Chris and Carlos might already be dead," Jill said grimly. "Besides, I wouldn't put much hope in the government helping us." The thought of Brian Irons, the Head of Raccoon City Police Department, was fresh in her mind. Even if he was already dead, she couldn't bring herself to forgive the man, how he had laughed and mocked her, Chris, Barry, and Rebecca after they've given their report following the Arklay Mansion incident.

"Zombies and monsters?" The grossly obese chief had mocked them. "Either the four of you have been on happy pills, or you don't even have decent minds to think of a good excuse to explain your screw-up!" It wasn't until Jill started doing her investigation did she discover that Irons and even most politicians were in Umbrella's pockets.

No, she wasn't about to start trusting the government after what she found out.

"We can't rely on Leon asking for help," she repeated. "If we want something done, we have to do it ourselves. We can get there in less than a day."

"We?"

"What did you think? That I could take them down single-handedly?" Jill managed to give a small smile. "Sorry, kiddo, I'm good, but I'm not that good."

"But didn't that ugly dirtface say that you're the only one who should go there, otherwise…"

"He said I'm the only one who should go in there, he didn't mention anything about anyone out," she emphasized the last part of her sentence, and she held up the device she'd been working on for the past half-hour. "All we need are a couple dozen of these babies, and we're set."

"Is that…?" Rebecca asked, her voice hushed.

"Yep, your average, backyard bomb," Jill said, putting it back down. "It doesn't have much firepower alone, but use five or more of these, and you're good to go."

"I like the way you think, babycakes," Billy said, leaning in and peering at Jill's handiwork. "Fancy teaching me how to do that? Just so we can get things done faster."

"Sure thing," Jill said, "Just as long as you don't call me babycakes, babycakes." In spite of himself, Billy laughed.

Claire and Rebecca were staring in awe of Jill. "You mean to tell me," Claire said, her voice hushed, "that you made a bomb in 30 minutes?"

Jill shrugged. "More or less, give or take a few minutes," she said unconcernedly, leaning forward and peering into her creation again, tweaking with a few wires here and there.

"But I thought you were in bomb disposal, not bomb making," Rebecca practically squeaked out.

At this, Jill laughed out loud. "Becca, I wouldn't have known how to disassemble bombs if I didn't know how to create them in the first place, right?" She felt a surge of affection for the two girls. They were young, easily impressed, but Jill was amazed with them herself. She didn't think she was as resilient as these two when she was just 18.

"Whoa. Remind me to tell Chris not to piss you off. Come to think of it, I should remember that, myself," Claire said, half to herself.

At the mention of Chris's name, Jill instantly sobered. She reverted back to her serious tone. "Here's the plan. We leave here tomorrow, 4:00 a.m. We'll rendezvous with Barry at around 6:00, Leon's set up a camp of some sort on the outskirts of the base. Rebecca, Claire, your task is to make sure that the bombs are secure. Billy, make sure that these charges are set to explode within three hours, no more, no less. That should be enough time for me to find Chris… and Carlos," she added belatedly.

Claire heard the pause, but decided not to make an issue of it. Not yet, anyway. There was a time for everything, and this wasn't the time for this kind of talk. Instead, she said, "Sounds good to me. I'll contact Leon to make sure that we have a ride for tomorrow." At this, she headed to their telecommunications room. Rebecca nodded slowly, and then she moved to a different side of the room to tinker with some of the equipment there, Billy close at her heels. Jill would've found the situation cute, if she didn't have a lot of things to worry about. She couldn't help but remember the fight she had with Chris right before they left for the ill-fated mission. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. _What if I won't be able to tell him? What if…? _She shook her head to clear the negative thoughts. _No, _she thought resolutely, _I won't give up. _She connected two wires on the bomb she was working on, and gave a smile of satisfaction when it lit up. _I will find them, even if it's the last thing I do. _

Chris woke up slowly. He was disoriented for a few seconds, until a pounding headache and strange pain on his upper left arm caught up to him, and he was brought back to where he was. The infiltration. The strange Tyrants. Wesker. He groaned, nursing his head. It felt like it was about to split into two, and spots of light danced before his eyes. He tried to look around to check his surroundings, and through a haze of pain, he saw that he was locked up in a small cell.

"Ah, you're finally awake. I'm glad to see that," a sardonic voice interrupted Carlos's narration.

"Wesker," Chris ground out. He looked around to see where the sound was coming from, but couldn't see anything.

"I'm glad that you still recognize my voice, Chris, considering that you should be having a monumental headache by now," Wesker's voice was filled with unholy amusement.

Horror filled Chris when he heard Wesker. _How did he know? _"What did you do to me?" He shouted.

"I would have thought it was obvious," if possible, Wesker sounded even more amused, "but just in case your head is too thick to realize what happened to you, roll up one of your sleeves. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about."

Almost without volition, Chris rolled up his left sleeve. On his upper arm, clearly seen in spite of the darkness, was a small incision, surrounded by ugly pus-filled sores. He didn't need to hear Wesker's malicious chuckle to understand what happened. He was infected.

"Your situation should be clear to you," Wesker's voice came out. "However, since I'm in a good mood, I'm willing to let you go." A click was heard, the sound of the door unlocking. "I'll even give back your weapons and ammunition to you. All you have to do is look down under your bed, and you should see them there."

"What's the catch?" Chris asked suspiciously. He knew Wesker well, and even when the blond man was still the STARS captain, he never did anyone favors, not if it didn't benefit him.

"Catch? You wound me, Chris," Wesker said, his voice even more cruelly amused. "There's no catch. If you can reach the exit, you're free to go. That is, if you make it out alive. If you don't, well, let's just say you're going to give me that long overdue battle data," and he laughed unpleasantly. Chris swore at Wesker, who only snickered again. "I suggest you use what precious time you have trying to find your way out of here instead of cursing at me. Who knows? You might even find your dear Valentine on your way," and he laughed again.

"What have you done to Jill?" Chris shouted. There was no answer. Feeling he had no choice, he stooped and checked under his bed. He half-expected poisonous snakes to sink their fangs to his face as he crouched. Instead, he found a small bundle. He pulled it out and opened it, revealing his combat knife, handgun, and semi-automatic rifle. He strapped on his combat knife, feeling somewhat comforted by its familiar weight on his shoulder. He set his handgun on his back (his holster had somehow disappeared) and grabbed the rifle.

"This is it," he muttered to himself, and headed out the cell.

Jill walked into another room, her handgun ready. One hand held a flashlight, the other her trusty Beretta. She hasn't encountered anything yet, but she was prepared for the worst. After a reunion with a tearful Barry, who kept trying to apologize to her and Claire, she had entered the factory. Outside, Rebecca and Claire had already managed to surround the entire area with thirty bombs, the total number that Jill and Billy were able to produce. However, she couldn't communicate with her teammates. Her transceiver had stopped working in the factory, probably one of the precautions Wesker took when he lured her in. _Have to be more cautious then. _She checked her time. 0730 A.M. Almost an hour had already passed.

"Come on, Wesker, you sick bastard," she muttered, half to herself, "Show yourself."

"Now, now, Jillian. Is that the way to call your captain?" The patronizing voice broke through the silence. It seemed to be coming from above her.

"You're not my captain anymore, Wesker," Jill answered, not taking her eyes off the corridor in front of her. "What do you want from me?" She asked, turning to the right, her gun raised. She spotted another door, and made her way for it.

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to catch up on you like old times," Wesker's voice came out again. This time, it sounded like it was behind Jill. She twisted around. She was met by nothing but darkness. She headed for the door again.

"We never had 'old times', Wesker," she said, cautiously turning the doorknob. She peeked in, and finding nothing, went inside the next room.

"Is that so? It seems like it was just yesterday that you came in the squad, fresh off Delta force. I never told you why you got in STARS. Do you want to know, Jillian?" Wesker's soft laugh cut through the air. Jill shivered at the sound, but didn't reply. "You're not curious?" Wesker asked, after a few seconds' silence. "I thought it would be… a novelty to have a woman in the team. You with your tight clothes," Wesker laughed softly again. "You made for a very interesting mascot."

Jill's hands tightened on her Beretta. Wesker knew that the gender equality issue was a sore point for her. However, she kept silent, and continued moving forward.

"What was more interesting," Wesker continued, "was when Christopher Redfield joined the squad. It was amusing to watch you and him together. Like two lovesick puppies," he laughed maliciously again.

For a second, Jill stilled. _Chris. _Her hesitation happened only for a split-second, but Wesker capitalized on that.

"Yes, Jill. Chris. That's the reason why you're here, right? Where Chris is concerned, your world stops. You don't pay attention to anything once Redfield's there." Wesker's voice became lower, more ominous. "That's the reason why your teammates in Alpha and Bravo died. Joseph Frost, Enrico Marini, Forest Speyer, Kenneth Sullivan, Edward Dewey, Kevin Dooley. They're all dead because of you."

"Shut up," Jill hissed. She knew Albert Wesker was baiting her, but she couldn't help but react. Images of her teammates flashed in her head. Joseph and Forest clowning around in the office, Edward and Kevin teaching her the rudiments of flying, Kenneth competing with her in the shooting range, Enrico showing her around the department on her first day. All gone. "They're dead because of you!"

"I might have set it into course, but you could have done something about it. You, Redfield, Burton, and that rookie," Wesker jeered. "But you didn't. So much for the top squad of the department."

"Why are you saying all these, Wesker?" Jill finally asked, after composing herself.

"I like reminiscing on old times," Wesker said. "Just remembering the sound of the bullet as it hit Enrico makes me happy." Malice dripped in every word he said. "I'm so thankful for my STARS. If not for you, I wouldn't have gotten all the battle data I needed," he laughed softly again. The sound echoed through the large chamber Jill found herself in.

"STARS is dead," Jill said, quietly but clearly.

"Oh, but my dear, STARS is very much alive," Wesker said, just as quietly. "As our old friend proves."

The sound of heavy footsteps approaching filled Jill's ears, but she hardly heard that. Instead, one single word drove straight to her mind.

"STARS…" The raspy whisper came out, but Jill heard it, and her blood ran cold.

Without a doubt, the cause of her many nightmares is back.

---

This was a really fun chapter to write, even if I did get creeped out by Wesker, myself. Anyway, I might not be able to update as daily as I did, since I have school again. I will try though, no worries.:)

Anyway, I've been thinking of creating a sequel for this one. Would anyone be interested in that? The people's answers to my question might determine the fate of the next chapters, so do let me know what you think. Again, thanks for those who've reviewed this so far. I'm also planning on some one-shots, so I hope you do watch out for that.

Anyway, enough advertising.:P R&R please, as always. Hope to hear what you guys think.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

Chris staggered forward. It could've been hours, days, since they'd been set "free", Chris didn't know. The only thing he was aware of was his blinding headache and painful arms, sore from having to hold up his gun, because Wesker's idea of charity was to leave zombies, hunters, and cerberi roaming around the premises. Because of his headache, Chris couldn't shoot as well as he normally could and as a result, he ends up wasting valuable ammo, equivalent to gold from where he was standing. His rifle had long lost its bullets, and Chris now was forced to rely on his handgun, a less powerful firearm. _If worse comes to worst, there's always my combat knife_, thought Chris, but knew that against the combined numbers of the bioweapons in the area, he might as well have been given a feather to tickle their noses with. The small rash he had also progressed, making his skin red and covered in small swollen pustules that seemed to throb. The worst part was that he knew he couldn't make a run for it, because he had started limping around 30 minutes ago. Chris tried not to think of the words in the diary he read back in the Spencer mansion, but the words haunted him.

_When I woke up the next morning, I found another blister on my foot. It was annoying and I ended up dragging my foot…_

_When I scratched the swelling in my arm, a lump of rotten flesh dropped off…_

_Itchy. Scott came. Ugly face so killed him. Tasty. Itchy, tasty…_

He limped for a while, until finally, exhaustion took over, and he collapsed on his feet. He struggled to stay awake, afraid that when he woke up, he wasn't himself anymore. However, his tiredness proved to be more powerful, and his eyelids gradually grew heavy. _Just for a few seconds. _Leaning back against the wall, he rested.

"Chris?" At the sound of his name, his eyelids popped open. Leaning over him, grinning, was none other than his sister.

"Claire?" He said, his tone questioning. His headache was gone, he was lying in a warm bed, and he was wearing a fresh new set of clothes, a gray shirt bearing the name of Claire's university and pajama bottoms. He looked around, and saw that he was in a white room, almost like a hospital. Strangely, Claire was wearing a floral dress. He blinked, then shook his head. _That can't be right. _Claire hates anything girly. "Can you tell me what's going on?" He attempted to sit up, and immediately whoozy.

"Don't get up!" Claire immediately went to Chris's side and tucked him in, giving him a mock stern look. "Rebecca said bed rest for two weeks!"

"Oh, you met Becca already? That's nice. She reminds me of you, Claire," Chris said sincerely.

Claire laughed softly, and perched on the side of the bed. "Yeah, she's nice," she said, smiling. "She's not the one you want to see the most though, right?" She waggled her eyebrows.

Chris pretended innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, looking away at the door. As though on cue, Jill stepped in the room, but she looked different. Chris's breath got stuck in his throat. She was wearing a long midnight blue gown that clung to her every curve, the neckline forming a deep V that showed her cleavage. Chris tried to swallow the lump that somehow magically lodged itself on his throat. She made her way to him, swaying seductively. Before Chris knew what was happening, he found her lips on him. It lasted only for a second or two, but it felt longer for Chris, but before he could respond, it was over.

"I'll leave you two alone for a minute," Claire said, smirking, and left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

Jill took Claire's seat on the bed. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Chris," she said, her voice husky.

Chris decided to take a risk. "And I'm glad to see you," he said softly. He hesitated for a split-second, then raised one hand to cup Jill's cheek. She nuzzled against it, but suddenly pulled away, and she stood up. "What's the matter?" Chris asked, also standing. Incredibly, the world didn't seem to be crazily spinning, so he took the few steps to stand behind Jill. "What's the matter?" He asked again, his voice low.

"It's too late, Chris."

Chris froze. "What do you mean?"

"I… found someone else."

"You don't mean that," Chris said, his voice shaking slightly.

Jill turned around, and Chris saw that her eyes were glistening with tears. "Yes, I do. Damn you, Chris. Did you really expect me to wait this long for you?"

"I love you, and I know you love me," Chris said, his tone stubborn. He held on to Jill's upper arms. "Tell me you don't."

"You know I can't say that," Jill said, wiping ineffectually at the tears falling freely.

Chris's eyes softened. His grasp on Jill's shoulders became gentle, caressing. "Then let's start all over," he said, his voice husky. "We can pick up where we left off, and…" He suddenly felt Jill's shoulders stiffening. "What's wrong?"

"We didn't really have anything, did we?"

Chris couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Not technically, I suppose, but…"

"But nothing," Jill interrupted. Her voice became a notch louder. "I'm happy now."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

"I'm happy," Jill said, her voice brooking no arguments. "Please respect that, Chris. I've moved on. Ever since you've been gone…"

"What?" Chris suddenly became confused. "I was only gone for a few days."

Jill laughed humorlessly. "You were gone for months, Chris, months. I understood why you had to leave, but you didn't even tell me anything, no letter, no note, nothing. You shut me out, Chris. I found someone else who tells me things straight, someone who I didn't have and be a mind reader for." The door of the room swung open, and in stepped a young Brazilian with long, messy brown hair. Throwing a sneer at Chris, he wrapped his arms around Jill and kissed her deeply, and she practically melted in his arms.

Chris's vision darkened. Before he knew what was happening, he had grabbed Carlos and proceeded to beat him to a pulp.

The impact of a fist striking his jaw brought Chris back to his senses. He blinked several times, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. There was no white room, no Claire Redfield, no Jill Valentine. He was still in the Russian factory, and he was crouched on the floor, his bloody fist still raised. Below him was a glaring Carlos Oliveira, whose nose had already started to swell and his left eye discolored. Several areas of his face were turning into varying shades of red, black, and blue.

"Took you long enough," Carlos muttered angrily, pushing Chris away. He winced as he experimentally felt his nose. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Redfield? Remind me not to get a seat beside yours when we get out of here. With the way your dreams work, you might just end up getting me killed."

"What are you doing here, Oliveira?" Chris blurted out the first thing that popped in his head, and was rewarded by a fierce glare.

"Thanks for saving my ass from that rabid dog that was about to tear me apart, Carlos. You're welcome, Redfield, it's no problem saving your ass, even if you are one, yourself." It was then that Chris noticed what was unmistakably a cerberus almost right beside him, lying in a pool of blood.

"Sorry, Oliveira," Chris apologized, "I don't know what came over me." His voice was raspy from his throat, now sore.

"It's called 'dreaming', Redfield," Carlos snapped. "If you don't know what that's like in your entire life, then I pity you. Remind me not to get a seat remotely near yours when we get out of here. With my luck, you would have killed me while you're taking a nap."

Chris stared for a full three seconds at what Carlos said, and he started chuckling. The mercenary glared at him before his mouth started to curl up, and then he too laughed. Before they knew it, they were guffawing their lungs out. "Oh man, I needed that," Carlos said, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Yeah, me too," Chris said, still chuckling. "How did you get here, anyway?"

Carlos shrugged. "I woke up to the sound of my cell unlocking, and then saw my guns and some ammo on the bed beside mine," he said, patting his rifle, and indicating to his handgun. "I didn't ask any questions. I just stood up and ran the hell out of there."

_No mention of an infection. _Chris strained his eyes to peer at Carlos to see if he had rashes or any markings to show he was injected as well, but darkness covered his features, and the only injuries he saw were probably the ones he himself inflicted to the younger man. Suddenly, a spasm of dizziness overcame him, and he resisted the urge to groan out loud. When the spell ended, he spoke again. "Oliveira," he called Carlos. Speaking was becoming difficult, his throat hurt too much.

"Yeah, man, what's up?" The laughing fit seemed to have cleared Carlos of any hostility towards Chris, for the moment, at least.

"Promise me that… That if I don't make it out of here, you're going to take care of Jill for me," he said, his voice raspy.

"Don't joke like that, _compadre, _it isn't funny."

"I'm not joking," Chris straightened up. He had to make an effort to do so, his body is starting to ache all over. "Look, I'm just saying… If you and Jill feel something for each other after this, you can act on it. You have my blessing."

"Why are you telling me this?" Carlos said, his voice quiet.

"Because I'm infected," Chris said bluntly, looking down. "Wesker… He injected me with the T-virus. It's only a matter of time before… Before it takes over me. I don't think I can survive this. Make sure to shoot me between the eyes, okay?" Chris said, pointing at the spot. "I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be hard for you to do that, all things considered," his mouth twisted in what he tried to be a smile, but looked more like a grimace.

Carlos didn't smile back. Instead, he took hold of one of Chris's arms and slung it over his shoulders. "Come on. You're not zombified yet," and he walked towards the door on the other side of the room, half-assisting, half-dragging Chris.

Sorry for not updating yesterday. I've actually had this written down, but I had to write up papers for school. Gah. Anyway, R&R, as always.:)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

Jill was half-panting, half-sobbing, as she ran. Behind her came the thundering steps of the Nemesis, one of the most successful pet projects of Umbrella. She rounded the corner, and slipped inside one of the smaller rooms, hoping against hope that the BOW wouldn't trace her there. The ominous whisper of "STARS" was heard by Jill, but it passed by her hiding spot. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. For now, she has escaped.

"Have you ever wondered why the Nemesis program is so successful, Jillian?" Wesker's voice suddenly resonated in the air. He had been silent for quite some time, and Jill almost jumped when he heard the sound of his voice again. "I'll tell you a little secret. Each of the Nemesis tyrants we've created have an insect mentality." Wesker paused. "You do know what that means, right? The same way that ants and bees can share knowledge among their hive even beyond the grave is the same system we implanted on to their brains. That means, Jill, that this Nemesis knows everything that the one you unfortunately killed did. Your fighting style, your choice of weapons, even the way you think…" The door of the room Jill was hiding in was suddenly ripped out of its frame. "These are all already in its head," Wesker said, relishing his words.

Jill couldn't help herself. She screamed.

Carlos and Chris heard the sound as it cut through the air like a knife. "Jill!" They yelled in unison, and they took off. Adrenaline pumped in Chris's veins, making him ignore the pain and sores he was suffering from. All that mattered was that he get to Jill on time. _I'm coming, Jill. I'm here for you now. _

It seemed to Chris that they had gone through a hundred rooms before they reached their destination, but what he saw horrified him. Jill, his beloved Jill, tossed around like a rag doll by a hulking creature that could only be one of the "Nemesis", if Carlos was to be believed. Rage filled Chris, but he knew that a single mistake could prove fatal. He signaled to catch Carlos's attention, and pointing at his eyes and then to Nemesis. The mercenary nodded. Chris then raised his other hand, and brought his two index fingers apart from each other, and then made circling motions. Carlos narrowed his eyes, then nodded again. Slowly, so as not to attract the BOW's attention, Chris crept to the other side of the room. When he reached it, he nodded to Carlos. They opened fire simultaneously.

Nemesis roared, an ear-splitting sound. However, it became confused, what with two targets circling him while they fired. It moved this way and that, trying to swipe at its attackers, but they moved quickly, avoiding its arms.

"It's working!" Carlos exclaimed, surprised but jubilant.

"It's not over yet," Chris said grimly, as he fired round after round. "Not until we bring this son of a bitch down." He dodged the blow aimed at his head, rolling over. He shot again as he was on the floor.

_Click. Click. Click. _

"Shit!" Chris had run out of ammunition. He barely managed to roll out of the way before Nemesis roared and slammed its fist down the floor where Chris had been, creating a large hole. Not to be defeated, Chris pulled out his combat knife. Perhaps it was instinct that guided him, but Chris found himself slicing Nemesis on its left side. Nemesis roared, but didn't grab him with his left hand.

"It's blind on its left side!" Chris said incredulously. "Carlos, hit him with everything you've got on the right side! I'll take care of the other one!" Chris yelled at his comrade. He darted off, hacking and slicing at every opening he got, at the same time rolling and dodging to avoid any blows. However, Nemesis adapted quickly, and faked a turn to throw a backhanded blow at Carlos, who landed on the floor hard. It then charged towards Chris, who was moving more slowly because of his injury, and as he pivoted to run off to the side again, he suddenly found his torso gripped and then thrown. He landed with a grunt, and tried to get up again, but his body, owing to the fall and the disease that ravaged it, didn't cooperate, and he found himself collapsing on the floor again. Nemesis gave a triumphant bellow, and charged its way to Chris.

"STARS…!"

Chris closed his eyes, preparing himself for the blow, for that hit that would inevitably be fatal.

Except that it didn't reach him. Instead, shots rang out. _One. Two. Three. _And they just kept on coming. _Oliveira? _Chris wondered, but he knew in his mind that the shots were deliberately fired one after the other, so it couldn't have been the assault rifle, the mercenary's favorite weapon. It couldn't also have been a handgun, the sound was too loud for that. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and snuck a peek at his rescuer.

The shoulder was at an odd angle, the face was contorted in rage, but there can be no mistaking who it was. Jill Valentine, firing one round after another from a magnum. Her face was twisted in cold fury. The Nemesis Tyrant gave another roar and made as though to charge for her, but it suddenly collapsed in a pool of purple blood.

Jill didn't waste any time. As soon as the Tyrant crashed to the floor, she ran to Chris's side. She wrapped an arm around him, careful not to damage her shoulder further, and pulled him up. It was only when they were on their feet that she looked at him in the face fully. She wanted to hold him, to cup his face in her hands, but with her dislocated arm, she couldn't. She compromised, by nuzzling him on the neck, and it was then that she felt his fevered skin. It was then she examined him, how his eyes have become bloodshot, how his skin had broken into angry rashes. "What've they done to you?" She asked him, her voice choking with emotion.

Instead of replying, Chris simply stared at her, and lost himself in her eyes. It had been a few days, but it seemed that their time apart had been too long. "Jill…" He whispered, feeling like he was drowning as he looked into her face.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" Carlos broke through their private world, his voice urgent. Chris was surprised to see him on the floor. He must've gotten knocked down by Nemesis, but Chris couldn't remember when it was. He was now jogging towards them, looking apprehensively at the BOW.

It was Jill who broke the eye contact. She ducked her head, and when she raised it again, her eyes were filled with fresh resolve. "He's right," she told Chris, "Nemesis won't stay down for long."

"You mean he's not dead?" Chris asked in disbelief.

"It takes more than that to take down Nemesis," Jill said grimly. "He's just knocked out. C'mon, we have to get out of here." The three of them started limping to the nearest door. "We only have…" Jill looked at her watch, "Thirty minutes before this place blows up. I say we leave as fast as we can."

"You mean, you surrounded this place with explosives?"

"Well, Claire and Rebecca did. Billy and I created the bombs, though."

Carlos whistled between his teeth. "I'll say it again, lady. You're not someone I'd want to cross." Jill chuckled at that. Unaccountably, a fresh wave of jealousy filled Chris.

They'd walked for about eight minutes when Jill stopped. "Will you excuse me for a minute? I'll radio Rebecca and the others to get the chopper and medics ready, you two look like you need to get treated. There doesn't seem to be a signal in this place, so I'll check to see where I can talk to them. I'll be back before you know it." Smiling reassuredly at the two, she went through one of the doors, leaving Chris and Carlos alone. No sooner had she left that a roar, one of rage, was heard.

"No fucking way," Chris muttered incredulously. The sound of thundering footsteps could be heard. In a short while, Nemesis would be in the same room as they were, and if the roar was any indication, it wasn't happy. He made his decision. "Carlos." He had to call the younger man twice more before he looked at him, his eyes wide with terror. He would've found the expression on his face funny, if he wasn't so terrified himself. "Remember what we talked about a while ago? It's time."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll serve as distraction. You and Jill get out of here."

"Don't be stupid," Carlos replied, his eyes glinting. "You're injured, you're sick, and you're out of ammo. The virus is just getting to you."

"I'm not being stupid. You and I know that that thing won't stop until it sheds blood. Hell, I don't even know if it will, at that. I'll be the bait, you two escape." Chris took a deep breath before continuing. "You're the one she wants, anyway."

"Idiot! She chose you."

Chris's head snapped at Carlos. "What?"

"You heard me," Carlos said, glaring at Chris. "She chose you. I went along with it at first, thinking that maybe she'll notice me if she just spent more time with me, but it's a bust. Right from the beginning, it was you."

"You're serious? You're not messing with me?"

"Do you think I'll be lying about this?" Carlos retorted. "She wants you, Redfield, not me."

Chris couldn't believe it. For the first time in months, his heart felt light. "Thanks for telling me that," he said, grinning genuinely at the young mercenary. Still, a shadow loomed over his happiness. "That doesn't change things, though. I still have to be play as the bait."

"What are you talking about? After finding out that Jill loves you, you're more determined to sacrifice yourself? You're _loco._" He straightened his shoulders. His face contorted, and after a pregnant pause, said, "I'll do it."

Chris shook his head. "No, it should be me. You heard the thing, it wants STARS members. The way things work, it's either me or Jill, and I won't have it near her, never again. Bring her out. Keep her safe. Please," Chris's eyes more than his words pleaded with Carlos.

"You don't have to ask me that," Carlos replied. Wordlessly, he handed Chris his beloved assault rifle, which the latter took. Chris limped to the door in the direction of the thundering footsteps, but turned back once.

"Carlos," he rasped out. By now, his throat is hurting so much that it was an effort to talk. His eyes were burning too, but that didn't have anything to do with the virus. "Tell Jill I promise that I'll come back, but if I don't… If I don't make it out here alive, please tell Jill that… That…"

Carlos nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell her, man."

Chris nodded as well, and then he stepped into the door. As soon as he did, Carlos ran, right through the door Jill went through. He almost crashed into her as she was heading back into the room.

"Hey, I was just about to get you two," Jill said, grinning. "Leon's got a chopper waiting for us," she reported. "Claire asked me to tell you that you're an ass for making her worry like that, Chris. She…" She looked around. "Where's Chris?" Her question was interrupted by the sound of gunfire and a fierce howl. "Oh my god, is that…"

"Yeah, that's Chris," Carlos's throat felt tight, and it had nothing to do with the virus. He grabbed Jill's wrist. "Come on, we have to go."

"No!" Jill exclaimed, breaking away from Carlos's grip. "No! Chris!" She screamed, running in the direction of the gunshots, but Carlos grabbed her around her waist.

"Jill! No! Chris stayed behind to get us a chance to escape! Don't waste his…"

"Don't say sacrifice!" Jill said furiously, fighting to break away from Carlos. "He's not dead yet!"

"Look, he promised he'll get out," Carlos said, desperately trying to restrain her. "You have to believe in him!"

"He's sick and he's injured! He needs our help!"

"Jill, I promised Chris I'd bring you out, one way or the other, and I intend to keep that promise," and in so saying, he flung her over his shoulder, wincing as she beat his back furiously, and jogged for the exit. Upon reaching it, he flung open the door and stepped outside. The sunlight blinded him, his eyes used to the darkness of the factory. It was only when he had adjusted to the light that he put Jill down.

Claire had sprinted as soon as she saw the presence of people at the exit. However, she slowed down as she approached them. "What happened? Where's Chris?" Her tone was scared.

Jill had stopped struggling before they'd reached the exit, but when she was back on her feet again, she instantly threw a punch at Carlos's face and glared at him. "Ask him," she spat. "If something happens to Chris, Carlos, so help me, I will kill you," she said, her tone savage. She stomped away.

Claire had turned her gaze to the young mercenary, who looked scared. "Carlos, where's Chris?"

Carlos swallowed before replying. "He… He asked to be left behind, told me to get Jill out of there. He said he'll follow," he ended. Even to his ears, his line sounded lame. His eyes turned to Claire, silently asking for support.

Incredibly, she seemed to understand. She looked scared, hurt, but she understood. She gave a small nod and touched Carlos's shoulder briefly. "You did the best you could," she said softly, before turning away to stand with Jill. Dejected, Carlos went to join Rebecca and Barry to explain what happened.

"Two minutes before explosion," Billy called out.

Jill stood at the side, her lips tight. Claire, Rebecca, and Barry went to stand beside her.

"Chris… He was a good friend. He was good to my daughters," Barry said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, he was a good guy," Rebecca added, her eyes shining with tears. "To think of the number of times I would've died in Arklay, if he didn't save me…"

"Don't say that," Jill said fiercely. "Don't speak about him in the past tense. He's not gone yet. He said he'll get out. He promised." Barry and Rebecca didn't say anything. Carlos had already told them of Chris's injury, but didn't go into specifics. Combine that with the idea of a murderous BOW, there didn't seem to be any hope. Claire, however, threw her arms around Jill and hugged her.

"He'll be out of there in no time, Jill," Claire said, even though she herself sounded unconvinced.

"Ten seconds," Billy said, his voice terse.

"Come on, Chris. Don't fail me now," Jill murmured. Her nails left marks on her skin and drew blood, but she didn't notice. All she paid attention to was the door of the factory.

"Five."

"Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

Explosion.

Updates are getting slower, sorry.:( Anyway, here you go. I know Jill sounds a bit OOC (and maybe also in the next chapter), but I was thinking that if the guy that you love suddenly chose to sacrifice himself and you can't save him, you'll go nuts too, right? Anyway, R&R, please.:)


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI**

Fire and brimstone rained over where the factory used to be. Scarlet debris and ashes flew everywhere, appearing as though heaven itself was angry at man's insolence. Crackling fire and the echo of the explosion still rang the ears of those who stood in the vicinity watching a major downfall of Umbrella, and yet one scream rose above it all, haunting in its anger and pain.

"No!" Claire's scream rang out, filled with pain as she stared at the burning structure. She collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Rebecca moved to comfort her, but Claire pushed her away blindly, her face contorted with grief. "Chris…" She wailed out again, her voice broken. Her sobs broke through the air. Rebecca looked hopelessly at Billy, who shrugged weakly. While he didn't know Chris carefully, he can sense the grief and pain felt by his companions, and all he could do was stand in silent support. Barry looked as though he was struck by lightning. He blinked several times, as though daring his eyes to admit that they were seeing wrong, that the building couldn't have exploded without his comrade, who was almost like a brother and son to him, getting out in time. He staggered off to one side, his back turned, but his heaving shoulders betrayed his tears. Carlos looked ashen. From the stories, he expected Chris Redfield to be damn near invincible, but now… He cursed at himself for giving his gun to Chris, for giving him an opportunity to fight again, but even more, to hurt Jill again, as he turned to look at the woman that he found himself caring deeply for. He trudged off to where she was standing.

"I'm sorry, Jill," he whispered. He felt almost ashamed to look at her. He failed her. By letting Chris go to fight Nemesis alone, he had failed her. He expected a tirade, tears, even another blow to his face, but he got none of those reactions. Lifting his head and looking at her fully for the first time since he carried her out of the factory, he was surprised to see that she wasn't acknowledging his apology.

In fact, she wasn't looking at him at all.

Instead, her eyes continually scoured the area, in the place where the factory used to stand. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips pursed, the way she always looks when she's concentrating. As Carlos watched her, she paused for a split second, and then she suddenly bolted.

"Jill!" He shouted after her, but she ignored him. Afraid of what Jill might do in her grief, he chased after her.

Jill was running before she realized it, her feet taking her unerringly where she wanted to go. She had spied that lone form, hunched, walking out of the destruction, and she immediately took off. There were no thoughts of zombies in her head, or of terrifying BOWs. All she knew was that she had to go and meet him. Smoke obscured her vision, but still she ran, and upon reaching that shadow, she threw her arms around him.

"Jill!" Chris gasped out, as Jill's slender form crashed into him.

It was only then that Jill's tears fell freely, and she sobbed in Chris's shredded shirt. "I knew you would make it out," she blubbered, "You promised."

"Jill, what the hell are you doing?" Carlos yelled out, coughing as he ran. Smoke and Carlos never really went well together. "Where are you… Oh."

"Oliveira," Chris acknowledged him with a weary nod. His voice was weak. "Thank you… For watching over her. Sorry, but I lost your gun."

"Like I said, it wasn't a duty. And don't worry about my gun, it was old, anyway," Carlos shrugged. It was almost impossible for someone to look so happy and yet so sad, and yet Carlos did, his mouth wearing a huge genuine grin but his eyes pained.

"Let's get you out of here," Jill said. She slung her uninjured arm over Chris's back and helped him walk. "Carlos, can you tell the others that… Chris has been found?" Carlos looked as though he was about to argue, but seeing their faces, he agreed, and jogged off. Jill and Chris followed, more slowly.

She was almost practically carrying her companion out to their campsite, but she realized she didn't mind. As they moved, Jill couldn't help but sneak glances at him, taking in every detail. His eyes were a little off-focus and bloodshot, his skin was filled with rashes and burning with fever even hotter than before, and there were large tears in his clothes and even his skin, but it was really Chris. Her Chris.

"What's wrong?" Chris asked her quizzically, noticing her stare. He tried to focus his eyes on her.

"No, nothing," To her embarrassment, her tears started flowing again, but she didn't make any attempts to wipe them off. She gave him a watery smile. "I'm just glad to see you again."

"Why are you crying?" Chris asked softly, puzzled, raising his free hand to wipe off one tear as though in wonder. "Hey, your left shoulder's a bit funny," he added, noticing the slump.

Jill looked at him again, and saw that his eyes were becoming more unfocused. "It's nothing," she shrugged it off, and moved a little faster. Chris's injuries might be more serious than she thought.

"Do you want me to fix that for you?" Chris was trying hard to pay attention, but for some reason, his mind was busy somewhere else. Like on the delicious smell of Jill's skin.

"I've had an arm dislocated before, Chris, I think I can handle that," Jill said, smiling softly. "Becca can fix this later. What's more important is that we get you out of here sa… Ow!"

For the second time that day, Chris felt someone slam into him. "Claire!" Chris exclaimed hoarsely, surprised to find his sister hugging him fiercely.

"Never, ever do that again!" Claire sobbed. "You promised that after Rockfort, you wouldn't leave me," she bawled, her grip tight on Chris's shirt.

Chris felt his own eyes moisten. With his free arm, he hugged his sister just as fiercely. "I'm sorry," he murmured over and over again. When they both finally let go, Claire got on his other side and assisted Jill in half-dragging, half-carrying her brother.

"Only a few more feet to go," she told Chris, smiling encouragingly at him through her tears. Before they were able to reach the campsite though, their companions had already run up to them, tears in their eyes and laughter in their voices.

"You're okay!" Rebecca exclaimed, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Glad to see you're okay, Chris," Barry solemnly said, but his wide grin and his shining eyes showed more than words how happy he was to see his teammate again.

"Hey Becca, Barry," Chris said, giving them a weak smile. His eyesight was becoming more blurry that he almost didn't recognize them, and he didn't see Billy at all.

Claire noticed, and she gave Rebecca and Barry a worried look. "Chris, I'm going to go and see if the chopper that's bringing us back is comfortable for you, alright?" She said, gently disengaging herself from Chris and giving Jill a speaking look.

"It's okay, I've got him," Jill told her reassuringly, and watched as Claire made her way to the helicopter, no doubt to get as many luxuries and as much comfort for her brother as possible. She continued to support Chris as they walked to the waiting helicopter, their movement slowing down even more because of Chris's worsening condition.

Chris's face had somehow managed to snuggle in the crook of Jill's neck. "Jill, you smell so nice," he murmured, nuzzling her. "Just a few more," she told Chris encouragingly, choosing to ignore what he said. In his fever, he probably wasn't conscious of what he was saying anymore, Jill reasoned. She pulled away a little from Chris.

"Yeah," Chris murmured, "You smell so good. Almost good enough to eat." And he lunged for her.

Boom! Do you think Chris actually has turned into a zombie? This chapter's become mushier than I planned, so I might change it if I feel the need to, but now. I have to finish the story first before tweaking with the minor details.:P Anyway, hope you liked it (even though it was a little sloppily written compared to the others), and that you're still continuing to read the story (please tell me you do!) R&R, as always.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter XII**

Jill stood on one side, her chest heaving, her eyes wide with shock. On her side is Carlos, his fist raised, his face determined. On their feet was an unconscious Chris.

"What the hell are you doing?" Claire asked Carlos angrily. She had sprinted after seeing him land a blow on her brother's head.

"I was saving Jill from being zombie food," Carlos said, just as angrily. With a muffled oath, he had rushed to the female STAR's side and hit Chris squarely on the side of his temple. Because of his condition, he had gone down easily.

"Fuck! He's infected?" Billy exclaimed, reaching automatically for his gun. Before his hand even reached the holster though, two distinctive clicks were heard.

"Put the gun down, Billy," Claire said slowly but clearly from her crouched position, her own pointed directly at the ex-Marine's head.

"If you even attempt to fire that gun, I'll blow your brains out," Jill promised, her gun also aimed at Billy. She had managed to compose herself, the threat of Chris's death an instant sobering thought. Only when Billy put his gun down while muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Damn women. Who's the idiot who said they're the weaker sex?" did Jill and Claire put theirs down, their faces grim. "Rebecca," Jill called, her eyes still narrowed at Billy.

"Already on it," Rebecca said, making her way to Chris's prone form. She kept darting glances at Billy, who was glaring mutinously at the two girls. She sighed inwardly. She couldn't blame both parties for behaving that way, but she couldn't help but hate how her friends can't seem to see Billy the way she does. _Time enough for that later, _she thought. Crouching down, she began to examine Chris.

"How's he?" Claire asked, also crouching down and looking at her brother with a worried look on her face. "Is he…?"

Rebecca took his pulse, and then lifted Chris's eyelids to peer into his eyes, one hand supporting a small flashlight. It seemed like she was checking his vitals for hours, but finally, she lifted her head and said, "He's not a zombie… yet."

"Yet? What do you mean 'yet'?" Claire practically shrieked.

"His skin doesn't have that distinctive greenish-yellow pigment that marks one as the undead, and his eyes, while bloodshot, still respond to the light, which means there's still life in him," she said almost clinically. "I don't know how long he can resist the virus, though. The infection spreads more quickly when the body's weak, and with the battering he got from the mission…" she shrugged helplessly.

"So that's it?" Barry asked incredulously. "We're just going to let him die? Wait for him to regenerate as a zombie and then shoot him in the head as though it were nothing?"

"I didn't say that," Rebecca snapped. Her usual happy-go-lucky attitude had disappeared because of the stressful situation. "Look, I've been researching about the virus. I was able to get hold of documents back in the mansion that talk about a kind of cure."

"Can you make it?" Claire interrupted.

"If we get to a lab, I might be able to make something work," Rebecca said dubiously. "But we're lacking the main ingredient."

"What's this, cooking class?" Carlos scoffed.

"What ingredient?"

"Blood sample from a T-Virus carrier," she said, a disgusted look in her face. "The factory would've been a good source of T-virus blood, but since we blew it up, I don't think there's one body there that's still intact to give me enough to work with."

"Take it from Chris," Claire immediately answered.

"No, it can't come from him," Rebecca said, shaking he head. "The blood has to come from someone else whose system has already melded with the virus. Since Chris isn't fully infected yet, the virus won't be at its maturity. If we wait for that though…" She let her voice trail off.

"It will be too late," Claire finished for her, her mouth dry. "What about the samples you collected?" She asked Barry desperately.

"Sorry, Claire, Chris was the one who got the blood samples," Barry said helplessly. He didn't have to continue. Knowing Wesker, he would've confiscated the vials first chance he got.

"And even if he didn't, it wouldn't have been much help. The blood would be stale and useless after a day."

Claire swore.

"I'll do it."

Heads turned. "What did you say?"

Jill had been silent the entire time they were discussing Chris's fate, but now she spoke. "I'll do it", she said again, making her voice louder.

"What are you talking about?" Claire asked, puzzled.

"I'll give blood. I… I became infected back in Raccoon City, Carlos," and she looked at the mercenary, "was able to procure a vaccine for me." Painful memories rushed in, her own thoughts about her own death in her mind, but her voice was even clearer as she spoke. "It cured me, but not completely. It…"

Carlos picked up where she left off. "The vaccine can only prevent the infection from taking over, but once a person has become reanimated, there's no going back. That means that even now, it's working actively to fight Jill's infection."

"But that's perfect!" Rebecca exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her, and she hastily added, "Not about you getting infected, Jill, that's not good, well… Maybe it is a bit now, since Chris needs you more than you know and…"

"Rebecca!" Billy yelled at her. He was aware of how the young woman could ramble on when she was nervous.

"Oh, sorry. What I mean is, your blood's perfect for the donation. It's got the cure, but it's also got the T-Virus still on it. I think I can try to come up with something that could work."

"Do you need the samples now?" Jill said, starting to roll up her left sleeve, but Rebecca stopped her.

"We can do it in the lab."

"Well, we'll have to hurry, because Chris is starting to wake up," Carlos said worriedly, glancing down at the older Redfield. Chris was stirring, his moans disturbingly close to the zombies' groans by now.

"Look, we don't have much time," Rebecca said urgently. She turned to Claire. "The good news is, I've got some tranquilizers here we can use to sedate Chris, or his mind, anyway. He'll be in some sort of limbo between sleep and wakefulness, but he wouldn't really be conscious enough to understand what's going on, and he wouldn't be able to move freely. It's not much, but it may help." That he would pose no threat to them while he's asleep was better left unsaid, but they all were uncomfortably aware of it.

"And the bad news is…?"

"The tranquilizers I brought are weak but they could do the job. The problem is, they're also known for inducing hallucinations, to the point of appearing real. Are you willing to make him go through with that?" She looked at Claire, and then surprisingly, at Jill.

The two looked at each other. It didn't look like they had much choice. "Do it."

The helicopter carrying them had finally landed. Only once did Chris stir from his chemically-induced coma.

"Claire…" He had moaned out, his hand blindly grasping for something.

Claire immediately took his hand. "Chris, I'm here," she had said, her hold tight, her vision blurry with tears.

"No, get back, Claire! Get out of the car! Oh my God, there's fire! Claire, get out! Mommy, mommy, please, wake up, please! Mommy, we have to get out! Daddy, please wake up! Mommy needs help! Where are you taking me?! Mommy and Daddy need me! No, that's a lie, they're not dead! Claire! Where's my little sister? Don't take her away, please! No!" Chris's voice was even hoarse as he had yelled, but almost as high as a child's, thrashing his head this way and that, his face wet with tears. Claire had sobbed just as hard as she hugged Chris's arm to her, her words unintelligible as she tried to soothe her brother. However, it was a while before he drifted back to uneasy sleep.

Jill's throat tightened at the thought. To see a full grown man crying brokenly, especially if he was Chris Redfield, was heartbreaking.

They were already situated in a temporary base that Leon had arranged for them, a small clinic at the outskirts of the city, safe from prying eyes. While cramped, it provided Rebecca all she needed to seek a cure for Chris. Jill and the others waited impatiently outside the makeshift laboratory where Rebecca worked. Claire and Barry were watching over Chris. Presently, she stepped out, peeling off a pair of rubber gloves.

"What's the matter?" Jill immediately asked, standing up when she saw the expression on Rebecca's face.

"We have a problem," Rebecca said, not looking in Jill's eyes. "It seems that what you were infected with isn't the same as what's in Chris right now."

"What do you mean?" Jill asked, her voice shaking.

"The T-Virus that Chris was infected with has a different strain from what's in your bloodstream. His seems to be a purer form of the virus, its bonds are so complex, I don't even know where to begin."

"So what are you telling me? That my blood's nothing? That it can't help Chris?" Jill asked, her voice choking.

Rebecca finally lifted her head, revealing her own reddened eyes, evidence of her own tears. "We can try, Jill, but I can't make any promises. The vaccine might still work, but it may not, I don't know. All we can hope for is that it starts something that Chris's system might be able to handle. I really don't know."

"You have to try," Jill pleaded, putting her hands on the younger woman's shoulders in supplication.

"I will. I want to do everything for you and Chris, if not for you two and Barry, I might have…" She shook her head. "Anyway, I have to get back. I need to get this cure finished as soon as possible." She headed back to the lab.

It was two hours later that Rebecca finally emerged again, tired but pleased, carrying a vial filled with a dark blue liquid to Chris's room, where everyone was gathered.

Chris's condition had become worse. His cheeks were by now sunken to his skull, giving him the emaciated look typical of the zombies. His skin had changed color from the crusty red skin he had earlier, to a sick greenish-yellow shade, his veins clearly visible on his skin. He was indistinguishable from the Chris Redfield they knew. On top of that, he's had numerous hallucination attacks, screaming and sobbing not only for his family, but also for his dead teammates. Aiken. Marini. Frost. Speyer. Dooley. Vickers. Sullivan. Dewey. The STARS members' names came out of Chris's lips, friendly greetings inevitably turning into cries of pain and loss, but only one was repeated over and over again.

_Jill! Don't leave me! I have to fight Jill, I hope you understand. Please don't go, Jill! I'm sorry, Jill…_

In other circumstances, Jill would've been mortified beyond belief, but she couldn't feel anything, only numbness and a dull ache on her chest. She hardly left Chris's side after she got back in the room. At times, she felt the others' eyes on her, but it wasn't out of fear because she had the virus in her that she expected, but worry, the kind you give to friends that you know are hurting. She felt a little ashamed of herself for doubting that her second family would become disgusted at her. For the first time, she felt thankful for her infection. At least it might be the answer to bring Chris back.

Rebecca's entrance was greeted by muffled cheers in the room, especially when they saw her carrying the vial. "Don't get excited, this may or may not work" she warned them as she put the medicine in the syringe, but her own smile betrayed her excitement. "I've made several doses of these, let's try this one first and then we'll see how it goes from here." Taking a deep breath, she inserted the needle into Chris's skin as the others watched with bated breath.

"Nothing's happening!" Carlos complained disappointedly a few seconds later.

"No, look!" Claire exclaimed, pointing at her brother.

"Is it just me, or is cheeks getting a bit of color?" Jill murmured in wonder.

Right before their eyes, his skin started losing its greenish pallor, and the paper-thin quality of cheeks disappeared, gaining a bit of flesh. He was still pale and sick-looking, but he lost the zombie look on his form.

"Good job, Rebecca," Barry congratulated her, grinning broadly. Carlos shook her hand, and Claire and Jill ran and hugged her, all three of them were laughing and crying at the same time.

"Babycakes, you're a genius!" Billy exclaimed, pulling her to him and kissing her soundly to which Rebecca blushed.

Disengaging herself gently from Billy, she spoke to the group. "It's not over yet," she warned. "I'm very, very glad that the serum did this much in one single treatment, but he has to be injected precisely every three hours for it to work. Even then, there's no guarantee that it's going to get him back the way he was. We don't know how his internal organs have coped during the infection, and we have no idea if his brain has suffered damage because of it. This period is very crucial, everyone. It could spell the difference between life, death, or paralysis."

The festive mood they've had after seeing Chris's improved condition sobered after hearing Rebecca's somber words. "How will he know if he's alright?" Jill asked softly.

"We'll only know once he wakes up."

Sorry for the late update. I don't really like this chapter very much, maybe because I have no idea how vaccines and cures work and it took up the majority of this part of the story. Anyway, we only have one chapter to go before this story ends. Aaawww… It was great writing for you guys, really.:) I'm already planning to come up with a new story, but I still haven't decided if it's a sequel of this, or a kind of tying together of Umbrella Chronicles to what we know so far about RE5, so if you have any suggestions, do leave me a line about it.:) Again, R&R please. Thanks!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter XIII**

Rebecca padded along the clinic to check up on her patient. She smiled softly to herself. Patient. She'd wondered if she'd ever be given the chance to live out her dream of becoming an actual doctor. Coming from a poor family, her parents and she had jumped at the chance when she was offered a scholarship, provided that she work the sum of her fees for the government. She had chosen the police department, reasoning that she could stay in Raccoon City with her mom and dad. She'd then go on early retirement and go back to school to earn her medical degree. _Funny how things work out,_ she thought to herself. She wasn't in the force anymore and she still wasn't anywhere near getting a medical degree, yet here she was, fighting to save the world and curing people from a dreaded virus. Most of all, she, the girl who always stayed on the right side of the law, ended up working with a fugitive, Billy Coen. Never mind that he was innocent. No one else knew that. She blushed slightly, thinking of him. No doubt he was on the couch he won from an arm-wrestling match with Carlos, snoring softly. The thought of Billy's innocent face as he slept, a contrast to his stone-cold expression while awake, brought a soft smile to her face. She turned the doorknob slowly, and peeked in.

Chris was sleeping on his side, almost as though he was in peace. Because of his improving condition, they had dared to get him off the tranquilizers, an act of mercy to make him rest easier and to keep the hallucinations at bay, even though none of them will ever sleep without nightmares again. Unsurprisingly, Jill was at his side, her head resting on her arms as she dozed off on the chair beside Chris's bed. Their heads were close to and facing each other. No doubt, when Jill wakes up, she'll be embarrassed about the situation, but right now, they had somehow unconsciously sought each other, even in slumber. Rebecca looked around the room and saw Claire sleeping on the small cot in the room, which surprised her. Jill and Chris's younger sister had an unspoken agreement. Claire would be the one to watch over her brother in the mornings, while Jill would take over at night. Neither of them wanted to leave Chris alone for just a single second, but had to accede their teammates' plea to relax.

"Look, Chris wouldn't want you to exhaust yourselves watching over him! He might even blame himself when he wakes up and finds you two sick for not resting!" Barry had told them, frustrated. It was this thought that got Claire and Jill to come up with the unspoken schedule between them, which is why Rebecca was surprised to see both of them in the room at the same time. She couldn't help but worry that something must've happened. Standing over Chris's form, she reached out a hand and felt his forehead. While it was warmer than what was normal, it was an improvement from his condition the day before. To make sure, she pulled out a thermometer from the small bag she was carrying. 102 degrees. He was now running on slight fever. The ultrasound she took earlier showed no peculiarities in his internal organs, and his CT scan, while showing some minor spikes in the readings, wasn't anything to be alarmed about. It was now up to him to wake up, and knowing Chris, he would fight his way back to consciousness. Making sure that everything is still as they should be, she headed out again, closing the door behind her. As she stepped out, a pair of eyes popped open.

Perhaps it was her training or her horrific past, even both, but Jill had become a light sleeper, and as soon as the door creaked open, she had immediately been on alert. Her guard had lowered when she saw it was Rebecca, but didn't bother letting her know that she was awake. She didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. She stood up slowly and went over to the small cot Claire was sleeping and arranged the jacket she was using as a blanket. A slight adjustment revealed a shiny mark on Claire's shoulder, and Jill's eyes became pensive when she saw it, remembering the events earlier that evening.

Claire had run into the room to Chris's side, sobbing. Only when she was able to touch her brother and Jill's reassurance that he was doing fine did Claire finally speak. "I had a dream," she said, as tears flowed freely from her eyes. "I dreamt that… that Chris didn't make it, and I had… I had to shoot him. Oh God, Jill, what if he doesn't get through this? What if he dies? What if he turns into a zombie? What if-" And she broke down again, crying her eyes out on Jill's shoulder.

Jill felt Claire's pain as though it were her own. The younger woman's words voiced out her concerns, the fears she's had after finding out that Chris had been infected. Yet she knew she couldn't go with Claire. She had to be strong, for the three of them. "He's going to be okay," she said instead, trying to sound as soothing as possible as she stroked Claire's hair. "Becca's smart, she knows what she's doing, she's giving everything she has to fight this virus."

"But what if-"

"No buts," Jill said gently but firmly, pulling Claire slightly away from her. "We have to stay positive. For Chris."

Claire nodded slowly, her tears eventually ceasing. "Thanks, Jill," she said quietly.

"Hey, if you want, you can stay here," Jill said gently. "I'll just take the spare room and…"

"No, it's okay, I'll just go back to my room," Claire said quickly, but her glance to her brother betrayed her thoughts.

"Stay," Jill said firmly. "You take the cot, I'll just take this chair," pointing at a small rickety-looking chair at the corner.

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose…"

Jill gave her a wan smile. "You're his sister. I can understand why you'd want to be by his side."

Claire gave a small smile in return. "Thanks, Jill."

"I haven't been using a pillow and a blanket, I thought Chris would need those more," Jill said, indicating towards Chris, whose head was propped on two pillows. "I hope that's okay if you don't have those."

"No problem, I'll just use my jacket," Claire said, removing the article of clothing and began balling it to make a pillow. Jill's gasp interrupted her action. "What's wrong?" She asked, puzzled.

"Your shoulder…" Jill blurted out.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you didn't know about this yet," Claire said, touching the shiny patch of skin. Her scar on her shoulder extended from upper right arm and then disappearing into the sleeveless shirt she was wearing, hiding the rest. In the darkness, it was impossible to see if it was new or old.

"What happened?" Jill asked, almost involuntarily. Immediately, she closed her mouth again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Don't worry, you're not. You should know this, anyway," Claire dismissed her apology. "Some idiot ran us off the road on our way to have a vacation and caused an accident. You know, the one that killed my parents," she said, trying to sound nonchalant, but the slight tremble in her voice told Jill that even after all these years, she hasn't forgotten it.

"I'm sorry," Jill said softly. "I remember Chris saying something about it…"

"But I'm willing to bet he didn't tell you what role he played in the accident."

Jill's head whipped around. "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, he didn't do anything wrong," Claire replied, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "When we got forced off the road, Daddy tried to compensate by turning the wheel, but it was too late. Before we knew what was going on, we were tumbling down the side of the mountain."

"Oh my god…" Jill had no idea. Even though Chris mentioned the accident, he never went into detail, choosing instead to change the topic every time. Now Jill wished she didn't, wished that she could have shared Chris's pain.

"The car eventually stopped on its side, but we weren't out of danger," Claire continued, her voice in a careful monotone. "Somehow, the engine flew out and caused the fuel to spill. A small spark, and we were suddenly surrounded by fire. Chris crawled out pretty easily, he always insisted that he sit behind Daddy while they're driving. He only realized that I was still stuck inside when he was already out. My shoulder had burned and got stuck in the car seat. Chris crawled back in to get me. He literally saved my life. That's why… That's why I don't think I could make it if I lose him. I don't think I'll be strong enough."

"What about… What about your parents?"

"They died right there," Claire said, her voice still monotonous. "Chris tried to wake them, but it was no use. The firemen had to pull Chris away from the car because he didn't want to stop the fight. Ten years later, here we are," Claire finished, attempting to smile, but her lower lip trembled.

"I'm so sorry, Claire," Jill said softly.

"Don't be, it's not your fault," Claire replied, waving off Jill's comment. She hesitated, and then continued, "I know it's not my place to say this, but why wouldn't you give my brother a chance? We Redfields aren't known for being talkative about our lives, we just take things the way they are - even if it kills us. If Chris wakes up, can you at least try and hear his side of the story?"

"Believe me, I want to," Jill said, her voice soft. "I just hope it's not too late." Trying to lighten the mood, she shot Claire a grin. "Since when did you get to be so wise?"

Claire smiled back. "I have to, my brother's not really known for being the world's smartest guy," she joked. She settled down on the cot, wrapping her jacket around her. "Give him the chance, alright?"

Jill sat quietly in the dark now, recalling her conversation with Claire earlier. She meant it when she told the younger woman that she wanted to give Chris a second chance, and she hoped with everything she got that she would have that opportunity. Her anger at him for leaving her seemed paltry now, even more now after hearing Claire's story. Of course. Chris would have given everything he got to find his younger sister, especially after having literally saved her life and losing their parents in the process. For a moment, errant thoughts about Chris's rumored playboy tendencies popped in her head, but she pushed them down. _Does it even matter? _Chris had told her he loved her. She just hoped that she would be able to tell her the same thing.

Jill woke up slowly, to the sensation of someone stroking her hair gently. For a moment, she was disoriented. Exhausted with her thoughts, she had finally fallen asleep, her head cushioned in her arms on Chris's bed. Her head automatically turned to the cot, but saw that it was empty, with no trace that Claire had spent the night there. She lifted her head slowly, and saw Chris looking down at her with an oddly gentle look on his face. Unaccountably, her eyes filled with tears.

"Chris… Welcome back," she said, crying and smiling at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Jill," Chris said softly, his eyes on hers.

"For what?"

"For everything. For making you cry, for hurting you, for leaving…"

"There's nothing you should apologize for. I understand now. I've been selfish. Claire told me about what happened when you were younger… About the accident. I shouldn't have taken your going after Claire against you. I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Claire wasn't the reason why I left."

"What?" Jill asked incredulously.

"Don't misunderstand, I would do everything I can for Claire, but… She wasn't the reason why I left early. When you get down to it, I didn't even have any real leads to follow."

"What are you saying?"

Chris paused, as though debating with himself if you should continue. Finally, he spoke again. "The reason why I left Raccoon… Was because of you," he said, avoiding her eyes.

"Me? What…?"

Chris laughed mirthlessly. "I was afraid. We were close before, but… After the Mansion incident, I felt protective of you. Hell, when I saw you in that cell, it was all I could do to rip Wesker apart. I think I've started falling for you even before Arklay, but it was only when those things happened that I realized it, and… I tried to fight it." He shook his head. "I was scared… People that I cared about seemed to die. My parents died, and I was barely able to save Claire. She was in the hospital for so long… I didn't even know if she would make it out alive."

"Claire's okay, Chris. She's fine."

"I was stupid. Instead of facing the situation, I took off. That's why I sent Barry to get you. I needed time to clear my head. It was only when I saved Claire and knew about Steve that I realized… Sometimes love is something that you fight for, that you take risks in. Steve did that for Claire, even knowing that he would die. I decided to take that risk with you, but when I got back," and his mouth twisted, "You were with Carlos."

"I was never with Carlos, Chris," Jill said softly.

Chris continued as though he didn't hear Jill's soft reply. "I knew was that I screwed up big time. We used to talk about everything before, even the small, stupid things, but when I got back, things were different. I was too late. You didn't talk to me when you were obviously hurting, but you talked to him. In a way, I understood it, and a part of me thought that I deserved it. After all, he was right. We were partners, but I effectively left you for dead. I wasn't there with you in Raccoon. I wasn't the one who protected you from Nemesis. I could have protected you from being infected, but I wasn't there," Chris shook his head angrily. "You had to go through hell all over again, but I wasn't with you. Carlos was."

"Chris…"

This time, Chris looked Jill full in the face, his eyes full of pain. "If it's Carlos you want, Jill, I won't get in the way. I just want you to know that I love you, and no matter what happens, I'll be here for you from now on."

"Chris, you idiot."

"What?" After Chris's confession, being called an idiot was the last thing he had in mind.

"It was never Carlos, Chris. It was always you. Even before the Mansion, way back when we were in training and you were assigned as my partner, it was always you," Jill said, smiling genuinely for the first time in days. "I love you."

"Ah, Jill," Chris groaned out, pulling Jill to his side in a one-armed embrace. "I don't deserve you," he said, burying his face in Jill's hair.

"No, you don't, but I chose you, so deal with it," Jill answered, laughing through her tears. "But if you ever leave me again like that without having a good reason, I swear, I will shoot you."

Chris laughed too. "I promise," he said tenderly. He tilted Jill's chin up, and gently brought her face to his. As their lips were about to meet, the door suddenly burst open, and Chris felt something hurtle into him.

"Claire!"

"Never ever do that to me again!" Claire cried, bawling her eyes out on Chris's shoulder. "You promised after Rockfort you wouldn't leave me!"

Chris hugged his sister just as fiercely. "I promise. I'm sorry, Claire," he said, his eyes unaccountably filling with tears again.

"Claire, easy on your brother, he just recovered," a young man said, laughing. He stretched out his hand to Chris, and then to Jill. "Leon Kennedy. I'm glad you're alright, sir."

"Thanks for saving my sister back in Raccoon," Chris said simply. As an afterthought, he added, "And don't call me sir."

As Leon laughed apologetically, Barry, Rebecca, and Billy came in, with Carlos trailing behind. Chris was once again subject to having a girl launch herself at him, as Rebecca hugged him fiercely. "I can't believe you're alright!" Rebecca exclaimed.

"I am, thanks to you," Chris said, grinning. He pulled away when he saw the man with tattoos in his arm glowering at him. He extended his hand to him. "You must be Billy."

Billy took his hand, exerting a little more force than necessary. "Billy Coen, former Marine."

"Chris Redfield," Chris replied. In a mock whisper, he tilted his head to Rebecca's direction and said, "Take care of her, alright?" causing her to blush fiercely and the others to laugh uproariously.

"Okay, kids, let's get out of here," Barry said loudly, guiding the others out of the room. "It's getting a little crowded in here, and I think we interrupted something," looking at Chris and Jill with a twinkle in his eye, making them turn red. Before he stepped out, he went to Chris's bedside, and shook his hand. "I'm really glad you're okay, Chris."

"Thanks, Barry. Me too."

Barry gave Jill and Chris a smile, and left.

Chris tugged Jill to his side. "Now, where were we?"

After promising Chris that she'll be back after getting some water, Jill made her way to the kitchen. She had just stooped to get the pitcher when Carlos appeared at her side.

"Jill, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Carlos. What's up?"

"I'm leaving."

"Why? I thought…"

"Not for good," Carlos assured her. "I just thought it would be best… Given the circumstances."

"Oh." Jill understood.

"I'm happy for you and Chris, Jill, really, I am. You both deserve this. It's just… I don't think I can take seeing you two together, at least, not yet."

"I'm sorry, Carlos."

"It's alright, it's not your fault. I knew what I was getting into from the beginning. Oh, and for the record, your right hook is stronger than Chris's," Carlos said, making an attempt to lighten the air.

Jill laughed. "Where are you planning to go?" She asked softly.

Carlos shrugged. "I don't know… I don't have a family anymore, so I thought I'd see the world, take in the sights, you know? That's one of the reasons why I became a mercenary anyway, I wanted to go around the world. Maybe I'll send you guys pictures of me being a real, honest-to-goodness tourist," he said, the corner of his mouth quirking.

Jill laughed again. On impulse, she kissed Carlos on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing. Just my way of saying thanks… For everything. Take care of yourself, right? And I'll hold you to your promise of coming back."

"Don't worry, I will," Carlos said, giving a small wave and then turning around. His exit was interrupted by him hitting the corner of the table.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay?" Jill said, stepping to him, but Carlos waved her off.

"I'm fine," he said, rubbing his hip. "That's another reason why I should go around. I need fresh air to make me feel better. I'm turning clumsy around here!"

Jill chuckled, watching Carlos leave.

"Jill?"

"Coming!" Jill made her way back to Chris's bedroom, pitcher in hand. Come to think of it, Carlos hasn't been looking well lately.

"Ah, you've finally arrived. Now we can get back to work."

"Yes, sir."

"Hawkins, lead this man to the labs. I've got some plans for him." Wesker's dark sunglasses gleamed as he watched Carlos being led off to the laboratory by a technician. His sharp eyes caught the three punctures on the young mercenary's neck, and he smiled evilly.

And that's the end of "Answered Questions"! I know, I know, hanging ending again. Don't kill me!:P I just wanted to give a possible answer on Carlos's sudden disappearance, even if this is pretty unlikely. Anyway, I hope you liked the story, I had so much fun writing it, especially putting some elements in the games here. It's funny, because the story changed so much from my original idea of it, but I still like how this one ended. I have a follow-up story in mind, most probably events between Umbrella Chronicles and RE:5 (btw, do you guys watch the viral videos for the new game? Can't believe Chris dated a girl who isn't Jill. Hurmph.), so I hope you'll also follow that. Maybe I'll continue this hanging plot there, too.:P

Anyway, my long-overdue thank-yous and messages are in order:

Stardust4, thank you! You've R&Rd every chapter I've written, I can't believe it! Haha! Thanks so much for the lovely reviews, and for giving these suggestions and ideas on what to write next. Most of all, thanks for letting me know that Jill's eyes are blue! Haha! You rock!

Agent Krivins, you're definitely one of the people I was so encouraged to continue writing the story for. Thanks for the blow-by-blow review, as well as the message you sent.

J.L. Zielesch, jane, GottaDance 88, 30 Seconds to YOUR MOM, thanks for the reviews! I love how you really get into the story. It adds to the fun element of writing, and it makes me want to write even more

sexyblondeangel88, xRaine Nothingx, Barbie13, d-d-chan-67, T, Ike x Pit Fan, thanks for dropping by a line. I love reviews, so thanks for stroking my

John234, thanks! I remember the games using the word "vaccine", so I carried it over to my story, conveniently forgetting of the vaccines I received when I was a kid.x_x I am so excited for RE: 5, especially since they're continually releasing promos and ads about the game. I seriously hope they don't kill off Jill, I'm probably not going to follow the storyline anymore if they do (for real).

To those who read the story but haven't reviewed it, shame on you! No, just kidding.:P It would be great if you left a short message though, even if you tell me you hated it. That way, I'll know how to improve.

If I've missed anyone, it's unintentional, and I'm sorry for that. Anyway, have fun! I would love to write more stories for you, so do stay tuned.:)


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